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midnight

(26,624 posts)
Wed Nov 28, 2012, 02:22 PM Nov 2012

A city in Brazil ends hunger via administrative changes from state being provider to facilitator.

"Another product of food-as-a-right thinking is three large, airy “People’s Restaurants” (Restaurante Popular), plus a few smaller venues, that daily serve 12,000 or more people using mostly locally grown food for the equivalent of less than 50 cents a meal. When Anna and I ate in one, we saw hundreds of diners—grandparents and newborns, young couples, clusters of men, mothers with toddlers. Some were in well-worn street clothes, others in uniform, still others in business suits."

"No one has to prove they’re poor to eat in a People’s Restaurant, although about 85 percent of the diners are. The mixed clientele erases stigma and allows “food with dignity,” say those involved.
Belo’s food security initiatives also include extensive community and school gardens as well as nutrition classes. Plus, money the federal government contributes toward school lunches, once spent on processed, corporate food, now buys whole food mostly from local growers.
“We’re fighting the concept that the state is a terrible, incompetent administrator,” Adriana explained. “We’re showing that the state doesn’t have to provide everything, it can facilitate. It can create channels for people to find solutions themselves.”


http://www.dailygood.org/view.php?sid=351


This is a great model to be duplicated in our schools and our cities....

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A city in Brazil ends hunger via administrative changes from state being provider to facilitator. (Original Post) midnight Nov 2012 OP
The human side of what government is about. BlueToTheBone Nov 2012 #1
Du rec. Nt xchrom Nov 2012 #2
Many here don't believe in giving dignity EC Nov 2012 #3
Panera in Wisconsin gives away their day old food at the end of the day... midnight Nov 2012 #4

EC

(12,287 posts)
3. Many here don't believe in giving dignity
Wed Nov 28, 2012, 02:59 PM
Nov 2012

to the poor, so I'm sure they'd have no use for something like this. Jon Bon Jovi has a restrurant where you pay what you think your meal is worth or what you can afford...I wonder how that's doing? The Panera here in town does that too and it seems to work okay, except they are out in the county and not accessable to the people that could use a cheap bowl of soup.

midnight

(26,624 posts)
4. Panera in Wisconsin gives away their day old food at the end of the day...
Reply to EC (Reply #3)
Wed Nov 28, 2012, 08:48 PM
Nov 2012

If you call ahead and list the reason and distention for the donation they are very helpful and generous...

Glad to hear that some of this idea of providing access to food via a restaurant has been established.

Hopefully more people will open up to this movement...

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