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Providing a Forum to Address Food Security Issues in Dane County
FOOD SECURITY is having enough nutritious food at all times
through non-emergency food channels
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The Hunger Prevention Council of Dane County (HPC) is a volunteer-run non-profit organization (501c3) dedicated to serve as a community forum to address the full range of food security issues in Dane County.
HPC's activities lie principally in networking, in research, and in community education and advocacy, but when needed it has sometimes engaged in direct aid to hungry families.
HPC provides regular meetings for networking between educators, anti-hunger advocates, and service providers. HPC also supported the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, which provides farm produce to low-income families, and helped to establish Madison's south-side Farmers' Market.
Since knowledge is a prerequisite for effective action, HPC has engaged in research concerning hunger and nutrition in Dane County. A community-needs assessment through local service providers was completed, as was a resource guidebook for service providers. Since 1997 HPC has also conducted yearly surveys of the clients of Dane County's food pantries in order to learn more about their nutritional needs and resources. Click on "Library of Reports" for the results of the latest food pantry survey (taken during October 2001).
To educate the community on hunger-related issues, HPC conducts regular bimonthly open meetings on various relevant topics. As one example, HPC conducted a community forum on the loss or reduction of food stamps for legal immigrants, and then collaborated with other community agencies in providing a special culturally appropriate food distribution for affected Southeast Asians of Dane County until their food stamps were reinstated.
All concerned persons and organizations are most welcome to join HPC in working together to fight hunger and malnutrition in Dane County.
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