Food For Thought Film Series: “A Place at the Table”

Fifty million people in the U.S.—one in four children—don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Directors Kristi Jacobson and Lori Silverbush examine the issue of hunger in America through the lens of three people struggling with food insecurity: Barbie, a single Philadelphia mother who grew up in poverty and is trying to provide a better life for her two kids; Rosie, a Colorado fifth-grader who often has to depend on friends and neighbors to feed her and has trouble concentrating in school; and Tremonica, a Mississippi second-grader whose asthma and health issues are exacerbated by the largely empty calories her hardworking mother can afford.Their stories are interwoven with insights from experts including sociologist Janet Poppendieck, author Raj Patel and nutrition policy leader Marion Nestle; ordinary citizens like Pastor Bob Wilson and teachers Leslie Nichols and Odessa Cherry; and activists such as Witness to Hunger’s Mariana Chilton, Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio and Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges.Ultimately, A Place at the Table shows us how hunger poses serious economic, social and cultural implications for our nation, and that it could be solved once and for all, if the American public decides — as they have in the past — that making healthy food available and affordable is in the best interest of us all.

The Moscow Food Co-op and Backyard Harvest have joined forces to bring you a free showing of A Place at the Table at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre, 508 South Main Street in Moscow on Wednesday, November 13 at 7 p.m.

Help fill the lobby of the Kenworthy with fresh food donations for our neighbors in need. November is a time when the food pantries of the Palouse are depleted of fresh veggies and fruits.  Please bring any fresh food donation – carrots, lettuce, potatoes, apples, oranges, etc.—and Backyard Harvest will get them to the food banks. Additionally, the Co-op will have bags of staple items for the food pantries available for $5 and $10. Bags are packed with beans, lentils, rice, canned tomatoes, tuna, etc. and are then donated to food banks in the area. There will also be bags of hygiene products available to buy for Alternative to Violence of the Palouse. We will have these bags available for purchase before and after the film, or they are available in the store for purchase at the check stands.

Join us on November 13 at 7 p.m. and make a difference in your community!

The Food for Thought Film series is a Moscow Food Co-op Outreach program designed offer education through entertainment. We bring both documentaries and feature films to town on a number of issues related to the Co-op’s mission. Some of the film topics have included environmental sustainability, the importance of eating locally, water systems, food justice issues and many more. Films are shown at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre in downtown Moscow on the third Wednesday of the month during the Spring and Fall months. Unless otherwise noted, the cost to attend films is $6 for general admission and $4 for Co-op owners and university students (must have ID).