Siouxland Magazine - Volume 2 Issue 2

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Siouxland Magazine | Explore / 48 My Hands Smell Like Onions By Lisa Cox and Jenny Jorgensen The Onion is a satirical news source that has had many Americans laughing since 1988. Its ability to peel back the surface layer and poke fun at current events and issues reminds us of egos, fallacies, and inequalities. While writing this article we came across one titled, “I Am So Starving vs. I Am So Starving.” This point/counterpoint essay is worth the read. However, it also does not necessarily give us a full picture of true hunger in Siouxland. When our statistics state 1 in 6 Siouxlanders are in food insecure households, we almost expect adults and children with bloated bellies to start appearing in Walmart or schools. Nevertheless, this is not the case. Oftentimes we see very overweight or obese people who are without food security and wonder to ourselves, “How can this be?” By digging our trowel into the cause of food insecurity and its resulting hunger, we can see the effect it has not only on those who are facing a food deficit, but also those who are not. Ideally, through this deliberate furrowing, we can answer the question, “What can I do?” as hunger is no laughing matter. To borrow from Shrek, “Onions have layers,” food insecurity has layers. You get it? They both have layers! The first layer is lack of funds. It is not always poverty that causes a household’s food supply to be jeopardized. As stated in the American Academy of Pediatrician’s report on “Promoting Food Security for All Children,” “For many families, seemingly small changes in income, expenses, or access to federal or state assistance programs may instantly reduce the ability to purchase healthy food and result in increased vulnerability to food insecurity.” In other words, changes in bills, medical expenses, or even enrolling children in extracurricular activities can wreak havoc on the family budget. As a result, we see individuals and families cut back on things such as dental visits, physicals, medications, fresh fruits and vegetables, exercise, and other healthy “luxury” expenses. When this happens, the divisions of the tunicated bulb are further exposed. Much documentation can be found on obesity, poor growth, poor oral health, asthma, learning disabilities, lower physical functioning, frequent colds and stomach aches, behavioral and social problems, and mental health concerns in children. Adults also suffer from similar issues compounded by years of nutritional deficiency which leads to conditions like diabetes, stroke, heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, suicidal ideation, pregnancy complications, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Subsequently, these lifestyle conditions expand and continue into the geriatric population. As a result, our kids, as classmates and we as co-workers, church friends, and members of our Siouxland community, are also exposed to colds and other communicable diseases. Daily we unknowingly interact with the food insecure in our neighborhoods. Afterall, it is not necessarily one of the questions we generally ask people. “Hi, how are you?” “Do you have enough to eat?” “Are you getting
enough vitamins and minerals?” That is a Mom or Dad question, not necessarily a neighborly one. If we truly fixed our brains on this, we could contemplate the times we might run into someone vulnerable to food shortages. Screening tools for food insecurity do exist for medical, community, or clerical professionals. Whereas, there really isn’t one for the average Sue or Joe. Awareness, assistance, and alignment are our power tools. Every day, our cumulative efforts are making a difference in Sioux City and the surrounding areas. Positive conversations are happening that expose the layers of food insecurity. They unearth falsehoods and shine a light on stereotypes, generalizations, and judgments. Siouxland Magazine | Explore / 49 Likewise, the word is spreading about our Siouxland donation sites and food pantry locations. Up From the Earth now has 28 collection sites to assist you and your bumper crop, so that you might assist others. Lastly, people are taking the time to cultivate a culture of compassion. Our mission to educate others about food insecurity is going beyond hoeing a row. We are Planting seeds of change, we are Growing food to nourish, and we are Sharing compassion with our neighbors. Have you had the conversation in your home? Among your friends? At your church? At your work? While we have many outstanding resources for those who are hungry to help feed them, ask yourself and others: What is food insecurity in Siouxland? What does hunger look like in Siouxland? What are the resources we already have? What might I/we do to help? What impacts of hunger or food insecurity have I seen? Find our collection sites listed on our website or our Facebook page. The Facebook page has more frequent updates: https://www. facebook.com/upfromtheearth/ and https:// upfromtheearth.wixsite.com/siouxland Want to donate cash directly to a food pantry? Every dollar donated will buy 13 pounds of food. Lisa Cox is a Master Gardener and community volunteer. Jenny Jorgensen is a Master Gardener and community volunteer. Graphic courtesy of Up From the Earth.
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Page 3 and 4: Welcome to Siouxland Magazine Staci
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Page 29 and 30: Women’s Power Lunch By Aaron Beut
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Page 33 and 34: Siouxland Magazine | Grow /33 Quest
Page 35 and 36: What Are You Worth? By Alex Watters
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Page 41 and 42: Revision By Hali Benson How are you
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Page 51 and 52: Digging Deeper to Answer Nature’s
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