Monday, September 16, 2024
By James Card
In Waupaca County, 5,653 people live in poverty. In Wisconsin, 19.5% of children face food insecurity.
These are some of the facts on display in the exhibition room at the Waupaca Area Public Library. The exhibit is titled “Food Justice” and was created in partnership with the Waupaca County Hunger Network, FoodWIse, and Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.
Compared to other previous exhibits that feature artwork, history or interesting achievements, this exhibit is educational about a topic that that is difficult for some to comprehend. The exhibit is well organized and succinct and within about 15 minutes of perusal, one can walk away well informed about food issues locally and on the state and national level.
Many topics are covered, such as the difference between a food bank and a food pantry (a bank donates food to other groups, a pantry donates food to individuals). There is the table-leg model of food security: emergency food network, vibrant food systems, federal food programs and economic security.
Some assumptions are challenged: people in the country can grow their own food, right? There is a section on rural hunger and it turns out it is worse that urban hunger (15% for rural areas, 11.8% for urban areas).
There is information about some solutions such as SNAP (Suplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Project Backpack, Foodshare, farmer’s market programs, various meal programs for school children and a listing of local pantries. The exhibit will be on display until Sept. 14.
The Waupaca Area Public Library is walking the walk on this topic. In 2022, they created the Little Free Pantry within the library. Check out the refrigerator on the main floor. There is no registration, checkout or income limits. If a person in the community needs food, they can help themselves. They accept donations of non-perishable foods and depending on the season, they have fresh produce from community gardens.
