1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio. Hey brain 2 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: Stuff Lauren vog Obam here. This episode is part of 3 00:00:10,119 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: our ongoing series surrounding the novel type of coronavirus identified 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:19,440 Speaker 1: in which causes what's therefore being called COVID nineteen. Because 5 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:22,439 Speaker 1: everything is a little less scary when you understand it better. 6 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: With children at home and countless adults out of work, 7 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: food pantries and food banks are more important than ever 8 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,279 Speaker 1: for many Americans. They've been the difference between eating and 9 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:37,559 Speaker 1: not eating for years. With the novel coronavirus pandemic, that 10 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: demand for food could soar higher than we've seen in 11 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: our lifetimes, And so what do we do to ensure 12 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:48,560 Speaker 1: these essential local food pantries stay afloat? Honestly, it won't 13 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: be easy. We took, for example, our local Atlanta Community 14 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: Food Bank, which as one of the ten largest food 15 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: banks in the world, distributes more than sixty million meals 16 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 1: to more than seven people across the Metro Atlanta area 17 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: and North Georgia. But maintaining those numbers isn't its only concern. 18 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: The food bank is usually staffed by hundreds of volunteers. 19 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: Now it has zero. It discontinued its volunteer programs to 20 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,480 Speaker 1: help curb the spread of the virus, and the staff 21 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: is brainstorming new approaches to tackle COVID nineteen head on. 22 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 1: We spoke with Kyle Wade, President and CEO of the 23 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 1: Atlantic Community Food Bank. He said, we have to adopt 24 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: distribution methods and minimize the number of workers coming in 25 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:36,559 Speaker 1: and out, and instead of asking people to come into 26 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: pantries to shop as they would in a grocery store, 27 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: we're asking pantries to prepackaged food into bags and boxes 28 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: for drive through distributions where the client never leaves the car. 29 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:51,560 Speaker 1: Other food banks across the country are similarly adapting. In Ohio, 30 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: one of the earliest states to impose restaurant closures and 31 00:01:54,680 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: self isolation rules, food banks stopped serving hot food and 32 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: began distributing brown bag grabb and go meals. According to 33 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: ABC and Toledo, staff members at local food pantry Helping 34 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,120 Speaker 1: Hands of St. Louis are wearing gloves and in some 35 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 1: case masks, and they're using tape on the sidewalk to 36 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 1: show clients where to stand for proper social distancing while 37 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 1: waiting for food. Their team had to stop accepting donations entirely. 38 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,840 Speaker 1: After curbing its volunteer program for safety and harvest, Hope 39 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,679 Speaker 1: Food Bank in South Carolina shifted its distribution model to 40 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: drive through only to limit person to person contact with 41 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: COVID nineteen shuttering businesses across the country, The need to 42 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,239 Speaker 1: feed the hungry grows rapidly at the same time grocery 43 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 1: stores are overrun with scared shoppers. Though rest assured supply 44 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: chain experts say that toilet paper supplies will be restocked 45 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: and general food supplies should become more normal as panic 46 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: buying subsides. So how will food banks access the bulk 47 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: of supplies they need? For one, Wade says, the Atlantic 48 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:01,640 Speaker 1: Community Food Bank will lean heavily on partner farmers. He said, 49 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: farms have excess produce and that's a big part of 50 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:07,239 Speaker 1: our supply chain right now, so we'll rely on that 51 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: even more. Because of pre existing grocery store partnerships, food 52 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:15,919 Speaker 1: pantries can source bulk products quickly and with better margins 53 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 1: than consumers, and that's why food banks around the country 54 00:03:18,919 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 1: are asking community members to donate funds instead of food. 55 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 1: Wade said, you can give me a can of food 56 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:27,280 Speaker 1: that costs you a dollar or you can give me 57 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 1: a dollar and I can get nine cans of food. 58 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: This is the same even outside disaster times. For the 59 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: Atlanta Community Food Bank, funds are also more essential than 60 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: ever because they, like many other nonprofits, have had to 61 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: cancel fundraising events. In March of twenty nineteen, their Hunger 62 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: Walk run generated eighty thou dollars with ten thousand participants, 63 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: but this year it's been canceled. School closures across the 64 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: country could leave up to thirty million kids without meals, 65 00:03:55,920 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: according to CNBC. That's because the National School Program feeds 66 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: up to thirty million children per day, the correlated Breakfast 67 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: Program feeds fourteen point seven million children daily, and the 68 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: Child and Adult Care Food Program serves more than six 69 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: point one million children. With schools closed, national and local 70 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: groups are doing their best to keep children fed. In 71 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:22,359 Speaker 1: North Carolina, for example, No Kid Hungry and See is 72 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: continuously updating a list of free school meal locations. In 73 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,919 Speaker 1: northern Kentucky, restaurants like Poseidon's Pizza Company are supplementing local 74 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: school cafeteria efforts by offering free small pizzas to k 75 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: through twelve kids. According to Fox nineteen, celebrity chef Jose 76 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,040 Speaker 1: Andres turned his New York City and Washington d C 77 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:44,479 Speaker 1: Michelin starred restaurants into take away kitchens to help those 78 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: in need. Employees are asking for seven dollars per meal, 79 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: although those who can't afford to pay don't have to. 80 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: Andreas is also working with other restaurants to serve as 81 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 1: community kitchens to cook for World Central Kitchen, and he's 82 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:01,039 Speaker 1: calling on more to do the same where possible, and 83 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:04,799 Speaker 1: food pantries can help with this too. The Atlantic Community 84 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:08,280 Speaker 1: Food Bank is bringing supplemental food to five local school districts, 85 00:05:08,480 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: adding to the resources local cafeterias have in place for 86 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: daily meals for children and their families. Wade said, we're 87 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 1: providing about ten thousand pounds that's kilos of food per 88 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: week per site right now. That's about a quarter of 89 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: a million pounds of food we expect to provide these 90 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: schools altogether. The Feeding American Network, which the Atlantic Community 91 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: Food Bank is a partner member of, is taking unprecedented 92 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,599 Speaker 1: steps to insure its members are able to feed people 93 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 1: in their local neighborhoods. Feeding America launched a COVID nineteen 94 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: Response Fund, a national food and fundraising effort to support 95 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: people facing hunger. They're working with government leaders to insure 96 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: its response include support and flexibility for federal nutrition programs, 97 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: ensuring that the twenty two million children who rely on 98 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: school meals have access to food outside of the classroom, 99 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: building an inventory of emergency food boxes to just tribute 100 00:06:00,320 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: to food banks as need increases, and providing emergency grants 101 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 1: to food banks. As food banks rushed to meet increased demands, 102 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: They're doing so without one of their loyal donor groups, restaurants, 103 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: which are largely either closed or operating with limited menus 104 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:17,360 Speaker 1: of takeout and delivery only, and have had to lay 105 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:21,560 Speaker 1: off many employees. Waite says that the local restaurants are 106 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:24,479 Speaker 1: essential partners for the food bank, but it's not the 107 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:28,559 Speaker 1: food donations from them that he's worried about. Quote, since 108 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:32,080 Speaker 1: restaurants are increasingly skilled at eliminating waste, the food from 109 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,920 Speaker 1: restaurants is a tiny component of the food we distribute. 110 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: Our hearts are breaking for our restaurant partners and the 111 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,520 Speaker 1: industry because we know many of the people will serve 112 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: in the months and years to come will be people 113 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: in that industry. But for organizations like the Atlanta Community 114 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: Food Bank, a little goes a long way. Big donations 115 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: from celebrities like Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who gave 116 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: a hundred thousand dollars to the food Bank and to 117 00:06:56,560 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 1: Giving Kitchen, which is an Atlanta nonprofit that provides emergencies. 118 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:03,000 Speaker 1: This int two food service workers will keep many Georgians fed. 119 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 1: But Wade acknowledges that times are tight. You don't need 120 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: a huge bank account to make a difference, he said. 121 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: Even if you can't donate cash, you can spread the 122 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,000 Speaker 1: words so people know about the food Bank. The need 123 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: is tremendous. Everyone wants to help, and even letting your 124 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: network know about the food bank services can make a difference. 125 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: Today's episodes written by Stephanie Vermilion and produced by Tyler Klang. 126 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: For more on this and lots of other topics, visit 127 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 1: how Stuff works dot com. Brainstuff is a production of 128 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from My heart Radio, 129 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 1: visit the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 130 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.