The Unsuspended Food Program
Have you ever heard of a suspended coffee? Some coffee shops will let customers buy a coffee and also pre-pay for someone else. The coffee shop will then put a sticky note on the wall. When someone who cannot afford a coffee comes in, they can take a sticky note from the wall and get a coffee for free. In this way, someone with economic means can pay for another who is without.
The Unsuspended Food Program takes this approach, except is attempting to be a post-pay system rather than a pre-pay system. The food gets to where the food security worker (farmer) knows it needs to go first, and people can help subsidize the aide; a food first, funds second approach. I, myself, have very little means, and I’m currently leasing land from the City of Lawrence to be able to operate my farm at all. It’s a risky prioritization and model for me, but if we want to change the fact that 40 million Americans (12 million children) struggle with hunger, then we have to get our priorities in order.
I started Maseualkualli Farms (“The Peoples’ Farms”) in August 2018 knowing that I wanted to prioritize food security efforts. I view myself as a food security worker, because I believe it is my role to farm, distribute and prepare community food, and keep a pulse on where fresh food is needed locally. In addition to farming, I help out in community food prep for various organizations. It’s important to me to stay in touch with the needs of shelters for displaced peoples, food banks, student pantries, and individuals within our many communities. It’s paramount to make sure people are fed. The right to food is, after all, a human right.
Article 25: Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of [themselves] and of [their] family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond [their] control.
Despite being a declared human right, food insecurity and food apartheid in the United States is very real. Many people don’t have access to affordable, fresh food. This is not a sustainable system, and something has to change.
So what can you do?
If you can afford it, you can help out in the post-pay system. This total will stay updated here.
Currently, the unsuspended food total is: $17,935
Donations Received: $3,233 (Updated May 18th, 2022)
If the unsuspended food total is greater than the donations received, you can be sure that your contribution already fed someone. If people out donate me, I’ll just keep getting more food where it needs to go — that part happens either way!
Donations can currently be made via Venmo to: @peoplesfarms
Donations can also be made via PayPal, though this is less effective because they charge a fee.
If you can’t afford to donate, see if you qualify for SNAP benefits. To do this, get started here. After that, check if your county or city has a food bank such as Just Food. If you are a student, see if there is a student pantry like at the University of Kansas. Shelters will often provide meals, and community organizations like the ECM will host weekly free meals. Food Not Bombs also has chapters all around the country that might be able to help, too.
