Agency News

LONG ISLAND CARES - THE HARRY CHAPIN FOOD BANK
AGENCY NEWSLETTER - JANUARY 2004
Previous Issues

• Friday, January 30, 2004 at 9:45 AM
• Friday, February 27, 2004 at 9:45 AM

Orientation Training Sessions are for new agencies, new staff and volunteers at long standing agencies. These training sessions are open to anyone interested learning more about food grant programs, grant deadlines, ordering how to’s, monthly report info, any an opportunity to ask all of YOUR questions.

Please call Nancy G. at 631/582-FOOD (3663) ext. 118 to make a reservation for the Orientation Session you plan to attend.

Long Island Cares, Inc., The Harry Chapin Food Bank will be raising the Shared Maintenance Fee to 16 cents per pound effective January 1, 2004.

America’s Second Harvest encouraged Food Banks across the country to raise the Shared Maintenance fee to 18 cents per pound three years ago. It has been over 8 years since we last raised the Shared Maintenance Fee but we now find ourselves in a position where we must raise it to 16 cents.

5. Our warehouse is off limits to agency personnel due to safety concerns and insurance regulations

3. You ordered it, you take it – no product is to be left in the parking lot (re-read # 4)

1. Be nice to the loading dock staff – abuse of our staff will not be tolerated. If you experience a problem with your order, please call Frank A – ext. 114, Kristine – ext. 115 or Meg – ext. 109.

Don't Make Me Sick - Wash Your Fruits and Veggies

Reports recently have implicated fruits and vegetables more and more as sources of food poisoning. The large outbreak of hepatitis A in western Pennsylvania was traced to contaminated scallions imported from Mexico. According to the N.Y. Times, in 2000 there were almost the same number of reported cases of food poisoning caused by produce as there were from beef, poultry, fish and eggs combined.

While the problem is increasing, it is not new. In 1997, an outbreak of hepatitis A in schools in Michigan was traced to strawberries from Mexico. In tests of domestic and imported produce, just over one percent of samples from the U.S. contained harmful bacteria, but more than four percent of imported fresh produce harbored disease-causing germs.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Only a tiny fraction of food-borne illnesses are reported to the government, so official numbers greatly underestimate the magnitude of this problem. Wash your hands! Wash you fruits and vegetables! You don't need fancy washes; running water is fine, or a tiny amount of dish soap that is well rinsed off can be used. This is really simple advice that can reduce the chances of getting sick.

For Your Health… Campylobacter

Estimations are that in the United Sates, between two and eight million people become sick and 200 to 800 die because of campylobacter every year. The infection has also been linked to Guillain-Barr syndrome, which causes severe nerve damage. Studies indicate that 20 to 40 percent of the 5,000 annual cases of Guillain-Barr follow a bout with campylobacter.

More than 70 percent of chickens and up to 100 percent of turkeys are infected with it. Campylobacter also infects cattle, hogs and sheep.

Heat kills campylobacter even more readily than salmonella, so temperatures used to control salmonella will also be effective against campylobacter.

National Health Observances Calendar

Birth Defects Prevention Month www.modimes.org

Cervical Cancer Awareness Month www.preventcancer.org

National Glaucoma Awareness Month www.preventblindness.org

National Volunteer Blood Donor Month www.aabb.org

Healthy Weight Week January 18-24 www.healthyweightweek.org

A ½ cup of cauliflower has 14 calories and nearly half the Daily Value for Vitamin C. To prevent discoloring, add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the cooking water.

Americans eat 17 billion quarts of popcorn a year. A whole grain, popcorn provides 1 gram of fiber per cup—and only 31 calories, if air-popped.

Women’s preferred comfort foods include snacks like candy and chocolate. Men are comforted by meal items such as pasta, steaks, and casseroles, according to University of Illinois investigators. The researchers speculate men equate comfort with meals, which they associate with being cared for. Women seek comfort in convenience foods that require less preparation.