Hunger Is Not a Disease

At the Intersection of Hunger and Health

 

I write 2 blogs.  One is about hunger and food pantries.  The other is about heaGNP65lth through the lens of reflexology.  They are two very different subjects,  However, they definitely have an intersection point:  disease.

People suffering with food insecurity, resource poverty, or who are the struggling poor experience a whole set of diseases based on what is or is not available for them to eat.

Diabetes

Hypertension

Heart disease.

Actually, these diseases can all be condensed into one:  diabetes.  Because, when a person has diabetes, the disease isn’t just diabetes.  Diabetes brings several other diseases right along with it:

heart disease

blindness

kidney disease

Hunger, food insecurity, overweight/obesity, and supermarket abandonment all go hand in hand with diabetes.

I’ve gotten to the point where I can “see” a struggling poor person walking down the street.

And, of course, the situation with the hungry/poor  is  not a problem with a person individually.  The entire issue is wrapped up in the community as well.  People with jobs paying enough to buy healthy and affordable food  have better health.

People with no jobs or minimum wage jobs often live in food deserts with  no access to food.  Without a working automobile, they are forced to live off food sold in gas station food marts, pharmacy food aisles.

Fortunate indeed is the struggling class person with  access to a pantry offering nutritious foods.  Fortunate indeed is the  struggling class person who has SNAP and can get to a good grocery store.

Kingston, NY has several really good food pantries and is also the winter home of the Farm Stand located in Kingston Community Action at 70 Lindsley  Ave.  Every Tuesday morning at 10:00, a truck load of fresh vegetables arrives from the Food Bank of the Hudson Vallley.  Last week they had potatoes, onions, squash, apples, parsnips, cabbages, cauliflower, and beets (among other delicious veggies).

Anyone can shop at the Farm Stand.  All they ask is how many people are in your household.   The Farm Stand opens every Tuesday morning and is open every morning until the fresh produce is gone.

Please  visit the Farm Stand.

Please tell your friends, neighbors, relatives about this wonderful example of our tax dollars at work.

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Peace and food for all.

Thurman Greco