New food coalition formed to fight hunger

Nye County has the biggest “food insecure” rate of all of the state’s 17 counties.

That means more people here eat one or less meals per day. Lyon County is a close second.

Recently, Nye County Coalition (NyECC) and Path of Hope were awarded a grant from the Nevada State Fund for Healthy Living “… for the purpose of creating a needs and resources analysis of this community,” according to the grant text.

Path of Hope in Pahrump now feeds between 1,800 and 2,500 people per week.

Stacy Smith, chair of the new Food Security group, said the group’s goals include: “To create a plan to ensure food security for everyone, and to share information and knowledge among food security providers.”

Represented at the first meeting were eight of the eleven food support organizations in the area. All will participate in the grant’s information gathering and support. The vision is: “Enough food for everyone to lead an active and healthy life.”

Attending the first meeting were: Oasis Outreach, Nye County, Nye County School District, Path of Hope, Salvation Army, VFW Food Pantry, not able to attend but involved – Joy Divine church, with NyECC, hosting.

Each group has differences in procedures depending on the institutional regulations. For instance, Nye County requires that anyone asking for food must have ID, an income restriction of 138 percent below poverty, and proof of residency. Then, they can receive food one time per fiscal year made up of dry milk, canned and other non-perishable foods.

Other organizations, such as New Hope and Oasis Outreach, rely on donations. New Hope, a much larger enterprise, relies on the United Way, USDA Commodities, 3 Square, donations and what they can buy through its 501c3 status. Oasis also relies on their 501c3 status to buy foods at cost or below.

Through the Nye County School system, food service includes a children’s nutrition program, a fruit and vegetable grant (for elementary schools) with two meals supplied during regular school days and during summer school in schools in Pahrump, Beatty, Amargosa and Gabbs. For some children, the fruit is so fresh that they don’t know what it is. According to Jodi Martinez, Food Service Coordinator, “Last summer we served fresh pears (whole fruit), and one child asked what it was. He had only seen a pear cut in small pieces from a can.”

One of the organizations needing food to supply on an ongoing basis is the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). At the moment, their larder is about a quarter full, according to Linda Wright, Auxiliary President/Coordinator. They receive a 10 percent discount at Smiths grocery store but other than that they rely on donations. Wright said, “Occasionally, we can find good prices at the base commissary in Las Vegas, but it’s a long trip for a small discount.”

The VFW has food available for veterans at their Post on Homestead Road, open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to noon.

Smith said, “We got this formal grant and have taken these steps because of what we’re all observing, and we need more partners, that is concerned and involved individuals and organizations to join us. We are hoping to make a positive difference in Nye County’s food insecure rate, so that without having to concentrate on hunger, people can work on education, finding work, and living life better.”

The Fund for a Healthy Nevada (FHN) was created with monies collected from the state’s 2007 tobacco settlement, with FHN getting 50 percent of the funds for grants having to do with health and healing of seniors, children, the disabled and many others, and for addiction to tobacco cessation.