Empty bowls…
Working full time as a food photographer, food insecurity has always been something I’ve been conscious of. People often ask “Is the food real? Can you eat it after?” and the answer is yes, 99% of the time.
To be fortunate enough to have high quality food, and often an abundance of it through the work I do, makes the issue of food insecurity that much more unsettling for me. After each photoshoot, I do my best to redistribute leftover food to organizations like Egadz, The Lighthouse, as well as dropping off leftovers to “free food boxes” around the city.
Although I play a very small part in hopefully helping someone access food, it’s organizations like those mentioned above, and CHEP Good Food that truly make the difference. Through great fundraising efforts and their day-to-day work tackling food insecurity, our community is truly indebted to them. The first time I attended their Empty Bowls Fundraiser I had just started taking pottery lessons, and although I wasn’t proficient enough at making bowls yet, I knew I would love to donate some work in the future. Fast forward a couple years, and I am grateful to finally donate some bowls to this great fundraiser.
One of the unique things about CHEP’s programming, is that they don’t just aim to provide food security for those who need it, they offer a variety of services and programming for everyone. Whether it’s educating on nutrition, grocery budgeting, and learning to cook through their Collective Kitchens program, or providing lunches for school kids who would otherwise go hungry. All the the way to packing & delivering their Good Food Boxes, which offer a subscription service of sorts, connecting locally grown food to customers, or teaching people to grow their own food through one of their many community gardens. They are a unique organization tackling the many different aspects of how food presents itself in our lives and our community.
If food security is important to you, or you are interested in any of the programs mentioned above, please check out their website at Chep.org.
– Bob
