… is worth a pound of cure. “Let’s Move”, First Lady Michelle Obama’s new campaign to curb child obesity, puts an encouraging focus on public health. The campaign focuses on improving school lunches, enhancing availability and awareness of nutritious food options, and encouraging daily exercise. Childhood obesity is the root of many problems later in life, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

The campaign could potentially mean change for neighborhoods like ours here in the Tenderloin: “Let’s Move” campaign is rolling out “$400 million in tax breaks to encourage grocery stores to move into ‘food deserts,’ areas with limited supplies of nutritious food, and spending $5 million more to establish and promote farmers’ markets” according to SF Gate. Our neighborhood has not one single grocery store but is dominated by corner stores (over 179 active liquor licenses!), making the Tenderloin an ideal candidate.

With any luck, tax incentives will move store interest towards areas like our own. If the campaign is successful, we may be taking our firsts steps on our way to making preventative health an American priority.

“In times like these, when we’re facing challenges unlike any in our lifetime, and you all know this better than anyone, I know it can feel close to impossible … Some may view volunteering as something extra, but ‘real change’ comes from the bottom up, from citizens working and mobilizing and serving the nation that they love …” (excerpted).

So said First Lady Michelle Obama as she delivered the keynote address for the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service convened this week in San Francisco. As I’ve been thinking about Michelle’s words this week, I’ve realized that the essence of her timely message is one that St. Anthony Foundation volunteers have largely harmonized with for nearly 6 decades! I’d perhaps make a couple of modifications—I’d say that our volunteers demonstrate the ‘real change’ that comes from within, and as that dynamic breaks down barriers between “us & them”, change in the structural barriers to a more just society are nourished. And yet, our First Lady words speak clearly to the worst socio-economic conditions that I’ve seen in my lifetime. In what I think of as a kind of “spiritual economy”, the care that our volunteers offer day after day, year after year, is the kind of “currency” that lifts up not only our clients and guests, but St. Anthony staff as well. And yet, how often do we hear any number of our volunteers say “I get so much more than I give!”

In my last little blog entry about a month ago, I voiced my concern that volunteering be understood as an invaluable response to our current economic downturn—but not “the answer” to it. And, as our President’s “United We Serve” Initiative gives new impetus to volunteering, I wonder if in fact we will witness the blossoming of connection with others that service encourages. Just one little example of this continuum is a story from one of our Summer Immersion High School groups. When the participants were reflecting on some of their experience, several of the students spoke of how moved they’d been by a homeless man who had made such an enthusiastic effort to help them feel comfortable. They assumed at first that this gentleman was one of the staff! Now some of those same students are involved in advocacy efforts to maintain San Francisco’s City Budget funds for essential programs, such as the one where this hospitable fellow safely laid his head over night. That’s change, for real alright—from within, across divides, and toward the restoration of caring community.

This new year, our Nation’s voice has renewed her call to volunteerism, heightened by the growing needs of so many people in the current “economic downturn” . Our new President, Barack Obama, invited all who could to honor Martin Luther King Day as a National Day of Service. The phones here at St. Anthony Foundation rang off the hook!

As individual volunteer coordinator here at St. Anthony Foundation, I answer our Holiday Phone Line–a special number dedicated to Holiday volunteering interest during the Season. This past year, I heard something much more frequently than in previous years: “I’ve been laid off, and want to volunteer while I’m looking for work…” Even after the Holidays, that statement continued to be repeated on the year round volunteering voicemail. And I’m still hearing it. In addition to this “voice of the times”, we’ve been contacted of late by wonderful organizations who “want to do something” to address the current climate of hardship by inviting St. Anthony’s to participate in customized volunteer fairs. We’ve been happy to attend and blessed to meet the many people “who want to do something” to make a difference for the better.

A “light bulb” went on for me at one of these recent events, during a conversation with a radio journalist who was asking me about volunteer demographics and St. Anthony Foundation needs. There seems to be a notion gaining ground that Volunteerism is an answer to the economic casualties of the “Great Recession”. You’d assume that a volunteer coordinator would be all about that, yes? Not quite, and thanks really to the strong Justice Education framework that girds our volunteer programming here at St. Anthony’s–both for groups and individuals– I’ve been mentored in the model that views service from the zoom-in personal to the wide big picture. Our volunteers do have eyes AND hearts “wide open”! Volunteering to serve a tray of a hot, nutritious, and tasty meal to each person waiting in line and at last sitting down in our Dining Room invites a birds eye view of every person served as well as a recognition of just how long that line is, and what that says about our devastated “safety net”.

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On the poor, of course. President Obama told governors that the federal stimulus was meant to “help ensure that you don’t need to make cuts to essential services Americans rely on now more than ever.” So “How to spend it?” would seem like an easy question to answer. But homeless advocates in San Francisco are afraid it won’t play out that simply. Many fear that the proposed cuts in the budget will still go through despite the emergency funding.

“The mayor’s office is still going to make the cuts and send the money out the back door … to other areas of the budget.” Supervisor John Avalos told the San Francisco Chronicle.

At St. Anthony’s we’re already begining to see the effects of the closing of publicly funded food programs in San Franicso. People are still hungry — but now they’re traveling from across town to stand in line at St. Anthony Dining Room. More families, having recently lost their insurance, are visiting St. Anthony Free Medical Clinic. We’ve bailed out banks and car manufacturers already, why not try a human bailout this time?

We kick this week off with the celebration of Presidents Day, originally known as Washington’s Birthday, which was also the first Federal holiday created to honor an American citizen. With a new President on board, Americans can expect the changes they’ve been waiting and wishing for. President Obama has given people without hope something to look forward too, here in the Tenderloin and at St. Anthony’s that is exactly what our guests need. The President’s Day meal is a glorious Spanish slow-roasted bean stew called Fabada. This dish is from the Asturian region of Spain and is traditionally served with cider. Various chicken dishes round out the weekend; however, don’t miss Tony’s Potatoes on Tuesday, they embody comfort food at its best, with melty hot cheese and delicious peas.

Feb 16 Presidents Day Fabada: Bean and sausage stew with pimento, saffron, and Asturian cider

Feb 17 Tony’s Potatoes: Baked potato with ham, peas, carrots and cream sauce, topped with cheese

Feb 18 Hot Turkey Sandwich: Braised turkey with gravy served with bread and mixed bean salad

Feb 19 Red Thai Curried Pork: With vegetables and rice

Feb 20 Chicken Marengo: Chicken braised with tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives, served over noodles

Feb 21 Chicken Apple Sausage and Potatoes

Feb 22 Chicken Orzo and Feta: Seasoned with oregano, lemon, and mint

Please check back for weekly installments of On The Menu!

The newly updated whitehouse.gov website has launched, and with it comes President Barack Obama’s strong push for community service.

Here’s an excerpt from the site:

“So today, I am asking you to roll up your sleeves and join in the work of remaking this nation. I pledge to you that government will do its part to open up more opportunities for citizens to participate. And in return, I ask you to play your part – to not just pitch in today, but to make an ongoing commitment that lasts far beyond one day, or even one presidency.”

Are you up to the challenge? You can start at home by volunteering or donating to St. Anthony Foundatation.