RIFA: Serving Jackson’s Underserved
The Regional Inter-Faith Association (RIFA) has been leading the fight against hunger in Jackson, TN since 1976. In Jackson, 1 out of 5 people are food insecure and 18.9 percent of people in Madison County live below the poverty level, which is higher than the 15 percent US average. What started as a food resource for the community, evolved into a thrift store, community soup kitchen, snack backpack ministry, food bank, and a food co-op.
Increasing Compost at Music City Center
Music City Center, a 2.1 million square foot facility, is located in the heart of downtown Nashville. The award-winning convention center is LEED Gold certified and maintains its commitment to advance sustainable practices throughout the building. Since opening in 2013, one of MCC’s key green initiatives has been food waste reduction.
Not Just Farms
The mission of the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) is to bring people together to harvest and share healthy food, reduce food waste, and build caring communities by offering nourishment to hungry neighbors. Most of their efforts are through gleaning farms, but if there is an opportunity beyond the field that allows SoSA to reduce food waste and feed hungry neighbors, they will take it.
Food Waste 101
Did you know that an estimated 40% of all the food produced in our country goes uneaten? Of the food that goes uneaten, around 98% of that ends up in landfills, with nearly 80% of that waste occurring at consumer-facing businesses (restaurants and grocery stores) and in homes.
Greening the Kitchen
Home-cooked meals and an empty trash can. Read this intriguing article by Heidi Rupke in the edible Memphis magazine, about greening your kitchen.