Working Group for State Gov Challenge

[grits_girl]

Just wondering if anyone is wanting to get involved? The proposal was passed on the 7th to start a working group on this so lets kick this in gear shall we?

No Home For Food Sleep In Challenge

Direct Action by Occupies of Tennessee to challenge the State Government of TN and Mayor of Nashville and/or Mayors of Tennessee (each Occupy can challenge their Mayor if they choose)

We challenge all our Government Officials to a homeless sleep in challenge obviously to be held on Legislative Plaza.

Gov, legislators, mayor, and the idea is to have them find sponsors (like runners/walkers do for marathons) to sponsor $5.00 for every hour that the person remains at the sleep in... (for the whole 48 hours it would be 240.00 and they must have no less than 5 sponsors which would be $1,200.00 for the whole 48 hrs) And the proceeds be split up between food banks or homeless shelters in their districts.

The plan is to publicly send an invitation by media (news, radio stations, newspapers ect... alerting everyone to this "fundraiser" challenge... then a personal invitation. As each one accepts the challenge; publicly acknowledge them in the same manner in the local papers in their districts. I want this to benefit ALL of Tennessee not just Nashville.

The idea for this came from two articles the links are posted below one is from 2007 from the National Coalition of Homeless "Take The Plunge" Homeless Challenge and a news article from November 2011 only 6 mths ago on wkrn.com "Local food bank faces major shortage" which was a story on 2nd Harvest.

Now on 2nd Harvest Food Bank's website:

"Our Partner Agencies include food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, childcare facilities, senior centers, group homes and youth enrichment programs located in 46 counties throughout Middle and West Tennessee."

UPDATE: 4/19 I have located All of the Food Shelters for all of TN, and I am in the process of gathering all the contacts for the Homeless Shelters 1 in 6 Adults and 1 in 4 Children go without food each day in Tennessee.

Also on their website they have 1.00 = 4 Meals... (Skip a lunch Feed a bunch) If my calculations are correct 1 Sponsor will be providing 960 meals for the whole 48 hrs.. if only 10 ppl participate w/ minimum of 5 sponsors... 48,000 meals. If they were to all choose 2nd Harvest.

Rules for Participants

They must remain at the sleep in for at least 24 hours or they (participants) must pay for the remaining 24 hours. Therefore we still raise $1,200 per participant for 48 hrs. (Starting on a Friday at say 7pm - Sunday 7pm)

They may sponsor aka challenge each other.. (yes I want to see them fork over money)

They may bring their own comfort items we will even allow them to bring tents. *evil smirk*

NEW: They go to bed without dinner on that Saturday (Goal is to see how well they can sleep with a growling tummy)

And the sinister purpose behind all of this

1. Make them break their own law in the name of "fundraising".
2. By the ones that do not participate Food Insecure ppl in their districts will know their Reps do not care and that The People is not a priority in their service to the state, which in turn will lead to them not being re-elected...There will be 16 Senate seats and all 99 House seats will be up for election in 2012.

I see this as an Occupies of Tennessee Event in connection with the Homeless Coalition and 2nd Harvest Food Bank.

We need all the Occupies in TN to gain more support from the general public and we need to do something postive to gain the attention of our target audience which is the Food Insecure of Tennessee.

Other Tennessee Occupies can either stand in solidarity, or they can help with the publicity part and getting their own food banks and/or homeless shelters to stand behind this action. Which ever GA decides as the less complicated.

Target groups to be involved, Direct Action, Finance, Media aka Tech, Facilitation other ideas or options to be ironed out.

Open to suggestions.

Thank you,
Debra aka Grits Girl

email: occupywitness@gmail.com

http://www.wkrn.com/story/16048480/local-food-pantry-faces-huge-shortage

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/civilrights/candidate_invitation.html

[grits_girl]

Skydive Films Launches "Hunger in America" Film, Narrated by James Denton of "Desperate Housewives"
"Desperate Housewives" star James Denton takes a bite out of "Hunger in America," a new documentary film tackling the hunger issue in America.

PR Newswire
NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 6, 2012
NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- "Desperate Housewives" star James Denton and production companies Skydive Films and Casting Life Films have teamed up to produce a powerful new documentary tackling the hunger issue in America.

"When I think about hunger, I think about kids in third world countries, not adults and children here in America. When you hear the stats, they are staggering," says Zac Adams who is serving as the film's writer, director, and producer. My goal with this film is to educate and raise awareness. We hope to motivate people to get out there and do something about this growing epidemic."

"It's an issue that definitely needs to be talked about," says Denton, who is serving as the film's narrator and is best known for playing Mike Delfino on ABC's hit show, "Desperate Housewives."

"I am passionate about the issue of Hunger in America because in a country with so much excess, food should not be considered a luxury," says co-producer Mindy Lawrence.

Mike Stryker, who is serving as the film's cinematographer and editor, states that, "A third world exists here in America, a world that most Americans have never seen."

The film has already begun shooting and will continue filming across the United States until summer 2012.

Director Zac Adams' most recent film, "Nashville Rises," an Emmy-nominated documentary narrated by Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton, tells the story of how the city responded to the worst natural flood disaster in Tennessee history.

"With 'Nashville Rises,' we hoped to inspire people of how a community came together  and a city rose up. In 'Hunger in America,' our mission is to make a positive impact by screening this film on TV, film festivals, and the Internet. Funds made on this film will go back into the communities where people need it the most."

"Hunger in America" will be released in the fall of 2012. It's co-produced by Randy Ryder, Joel Hahn, Mark Slaughter, Mike Stryker, Jeffrey Chase, and Camron Carrier, all of whom worked on "Nashville Rises."

SOURCE Skydive Films




http://www.bizjournals.com/prnewswire/press_releases/2012/04/06/LA83812

[grits_girl]

This was in 2007

Congressional Food Stamp Challenge
U.S. Members of Congress Live on a Food Stamp Budget

http://foodstampchallenge.typepad.com/


Who knew that a documentary on the food stamp program could be funny, infuriating, informative, and entertaining? Food Stamped sets out to answer a simple but important question: Is it possible to eat well for a week on the federal supplemental food aid program?

http://lettuceeatkale.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/food-stamped-a-film-for-our-times/

In 2009, Jennifer Bailey received a Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship to work with Community Food Advocates', Re/Storing Nashville Campaign, a group dedicated to improving Nashville's food desert neighborhoods

http://youtu.be/MmzyNsrUSL8

PBS Newshour: Hunger in America

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/pbs-newshour-hunger-america

New Report Shows Spike in Senior Hunger - "Food Insecurity Among Older Adults"
by AARP Tennessee on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at 12:23pm ·

https://www.facebook.com/notes/aarp-tennessee/new-report-shows-spike-in-senior-hunger-food-insecurity-among-older-adults/10150277107117444

[Josh M.]

Good post thanks Grits_Girl

[grits_girl]

Nashville's obesity fight in the spotlight
HBO documentary series lauds city's efforts against epidemic
 
And, with more than 1.5 million adult Tennesseans — nearly 32 percent — classified as obese, it’s not a topic state and city officials can ignore.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120414/LIFE03/304140004/Nashville-s-obesity-fight-spotlight

Household-level Food Insecurity and Very Low Food Security

http://www.ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/TN.htm

Percent of households
Food insecure
2002-04 Avg.
11.5

2005-07 Avg.
12.8

2008-10 Avg.
15.0

Very low food security
2002-04 Avg.
3.5

2005-07 Avg.
4.2

2008-10 Avg.
6.0

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FoodSecurity/Labels.htm

The CNSTAT panel also recommended that USDA make a clear and explicit distinction between food insecurity and hunger.

Food insecurity—the condition assessed in the food security survey and represented in USDA food security reports—is a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.

Hunger is an individual-level physiological condition that may result from food insecurity.

Characteristics of Households With Very Low Food Security

Conditions reported by households with very low food security are compared with those reported by food-secure households and by households with low (but not very low) food security in the following graph:

99 percent reported having worried that their food would run out before they got money to buy more.

96 percent reported that the food they bought just did not last and they did not have money to get more.

94 percent reported that they could not afford to eat balanced meals.

96 percent reported that an adult had cut the size of meals or skipped meals because there was not enough money for food.

88 percent reported that this had occurred in 3 or more months.

95 percent of respondents reported that they had eaten less than they felt they should because there was not enough money for food.

66 percent of respondents reported that they had been hungry but did not eat because they could not afford enough food.

45 percent of respondents reported having lost weight because they did not have enough money for food.

29 percent reported that an adult did not eat for a whole day because there was not enough money for food.

22 percent reported that this had occurred in 3 or more months.

All households without children that were classified as having very low food security reported at least six of these conditions, and 65 percent reported seven or more. Food-insecure conditions in households with children followed a similar pattern.

[grits_girl]

About 1 in every 4 Americans participates in at least 1 of the 15 domestic food and nutrition assistance programs of the U.S.

SNAP

Average monthly participation (millions)

FY2010
40.3

FY2011
44.7

Change
10.9%

Average bene?t per person (dollars/month)

FY2010
133.79

FY2011
133.84

Change
0.0%

Total annual expenditures ($ billions)
FY2010
68.3

FY2011
75.3

Change
10.3%

http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/EIB93/EIB93.pdf

[grits_girl]

April 18, 2012

Feeding America is outraged by the House Agriculture Committee’s vote today to drastically cut spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by over $33 billion.

http://feedingamerica.org/press-room/press-releases/snap-food-stamp-cuts-statement.aspx

[Linda Jackson]

Make them secure a spot at the shelter for the night. (Of course now that it is warming might not be as hard to do)
Make them go to a church a ask / receive some food.
They could sell a homeless newspaper to someone passing in a car at a stoplight.
Try to use a bathroom in a public place.
Try to get money for sweeping a parking lot of a business.
Take a nap in a public space.

still thinking...is this the kind of activities you are looking for?

[grits_girl]

Well I was thinking more along the lines of informational teach in's; the reason for the Sleep In challenging the State Gov. is to have the forum and discussion/debate. Bring them down from their stuffy suits and onto OUR LEVEL... Also so it forces them to look at us as a PERSON and not just a number on a piece of paper.

 Just to update yall I have all of the emails for the Food Banks in TN, and I have located all of the Homeless Shelters emails as well...

And I thought we could host a Food Drive action the same weekend as well all the Occupies could get in on that. Maybe have a competition to see which group collects the most goods?

The only things lacking is getting the other Occupies on board, (Occupy Chattanooga's DA will be discussing this some time within the week so I should be hearing from them by next week)

Need to see if the homeless and food banks have any material that they use when they go out into the public cause we need some teach ins and things of that nature.

Im just really stuck on the logistics, cause we gonna need food.. I dont know where yall got your food donations. I dont know nothing about teach in's


And target date for this is June 22nd.

[0v3rki11]

"We challenge all our Government Officials to a homeless sleep in challenge obviously to be held on Legislative Plaza."

But that would be in violation of the "no camping" law. To sleep or to lay down bedding materials with the intent of sleeping is illegal.

Though, would be a great way to put the criminals in our legislation in prison if you could get them to agree to do it and then call the cops to have them arrested for breaking the very law they themselves passed.

...there may be method to that madness  >

[grits_girl]

LTNS Overkill.... And yea that was my first thought actually... that if we could coordinate with THP to have them arrested at an unknown time then to hold a public auction to get them released to raise funds.. then I thought about what would happen if someone didn't have anyone to bid on them LOL or if people were just stingy as hell and well that would defeat the purpose

Something like this Jail & Bail

http://www.ehow.com/how_5958909_do-jail-bail-fundraiser.html

[grits_girl]

Solved all the problems with the teach in's for the Homeless segment this is the exact type of thing I was thinking of...

The Nashville Homeless Power Project (NHPP) offers the following educational activities:

Homelessness 101 Workshops:   From 15 minute presentations to all day tours, homeless and formerly homeless people will work with groups of any size to:  1) break stereotypes and help humanize homeless people; 2) give real facts on homelessness; 3) root causes of homelessness; and 4) how to take concrete action steps at many levels.

Specific Workshops include:

Presentations—one or two of the homeless or formerly homeless leaders will share personal stories with the group, along with how to get more involved.  15 minutes

Panel Discussion—from 3 or 4 of the homeless or formerly homeless leaders will: 1) share the mission and purpose of NHPP; 2) personal testimonies; 3) talk about housing and worker rights and other campaigns;  and 4) how to get involved.  Question and answer and discussion follows.—45 minutes.

Homelessness 101—from 3 to 6 of the homeless or formerly homeless leaders will do presentations, role plays, video, small groups and 1-on-1 discussion giving the audience member(s) the opportunity to develop relationships directly all done in a fun and safe environment, learn the facts about homelessness and its root causes and how to get involved.—from 1 to 3 hours.

The Tour.   This is not experiencing homelessness, but is an opportunity to engage directly with homeless and formerly homeless people as your guides.  Engage directly with homeless folks on the streets.   Engage with other stakeholders (e.g. police, businesses, other homeless organizations) that positively and negatively impact homeless people.   Tours are tailored to each group’s specific needs or requests.

Geographical Area Served:  Nashville Metro

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/faces/existing.html#TN

[0v3rki11]

LTNS Overkill....

There's a good reason for that