Sowing the Seeds of Change

This is the story of a remarkable organizations sustained, compassionate response to a problem of staggering proportions: there are about 35 million food-insecure people in America today. The numbers are no less shocking in southern Arizona: one in six residents, and one in four children, are food insecure. How can this be in the richest country in the world? This book explores that paradox and the innovative solutions that one organization has developed to create a healthier, more secure tomorrow for the less fortunate among us. The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona (CFB) is one of the oldest and most respected food banks in America. It is a widely recognized leader not simply in providing hunger relief but in attacking the root causes of hunger and poverty through community development, education, and advocacy. In 2018, Feeding Americathe national organization of food banksnamed it Food Bank of the Year. The CFB serves as a model for all nonprofits to follow, no matter their mission. This profusely illustrated book chronicles the CFBs amazing success and evolution from a tiny grassroots hunger-relief organization to one with more than six thousand workers and an annual budget exceeding $100 million. The book gives voice to the thousands of CFB participants past and present, weaving their profiles and quotes throughout the book. These profiles personalize the history of the CFB and give readers an insiders perspective on the people and events that shaped the food banks success. It shows how individuals working together can help prevent hunger and break the cycle of poverty that is its cause. The aim of Sowing the Seeds of Change is not to laud the CFBs achievements. It is to demonstrate to readers that the war against hunger, despite the obstacles, can be won. And not tomorrow. Now!