The Untold Story of Feeding Hungry People
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MEALS PARTNERSHIP COALITION “The Meals Partnership Coalition works to utilize private and public resources to ensure that safe and nutritious meals are available to hungry people.” May 2009 Meeting Minutes In Attendance: Shaundra Hartell ~ New Horizons Ministry Ref Lindmark ~ Blessed Sacrament Jason Gortney ~ Children’s Home Society Michael Gregory ~ Phinney Neighborhood Assoc. Doug Luna ~ Seattle Indian Center David Coffey ~ Recovery Café Fe Arreola ~ Seattle Human Services Department Jill Watson ~ Seattle Human Services Department Valerie Chandler ~ Seed of Abraham Krista Grimm ~ Operation Sack Lunch Diane Carmel ~ Pike Place Senior Center Beverly Graham ~ Operation:Sack lunch Rachel Engh ~ Lifelong AIDS Alliance Matt Fox ~ ROOTS Rachel Dietrich ~ Food Lifeline Linda Berger ~ Hunger Intervention Program Don Jensen ~ CLCH Liz Mills ~ Angeline’s Place (YWCA) Rebecca Allen ~ El Centro de La Raza Eric Wirkman ~ Teen Feed Danielle Green ~ Sacred Heart Shelter Brent Hermann ~ Millionaire Club Charity Pandemic Response Discussion with Jill Watson: Jill Watson from the Seattle Human Services Department led a discussion with MPC members to develop a plan of action in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak in Seattle. During this conversation Jill gave some background to the Office of Emergency Management and her role with Seattle human services. To begin Jill asked several questions such as: How will people be fed if Seattle experiences a catastrophic flu outbreak? When does a meal program need to implement social distancing (serving out of doors with minimal contact)? How should a meal program react to client fears of the person with a cough? The following items were discussed: Ways to Keep Flu Transmission to a Minimum • During a flu outbreak, hand sanitizer and paper towels should be on hand for the clients to use. • If worried about the chemical components within general hand sanitizers, there are several effective natural products on the market. • Have N95 or N100 masks available for clients to use if they are ill. These masks are most effective when worn by the ill person, not the staff. Any other mask grade will not work to stop viral transmission. • Sanitize your facility before and after meals. If your program is committed to a non-chemical environment (MPC recommended), then there are steam cleaners on the market that kill viruses effectively and safely. 2 • Talk with clients who are showing signs of illness, and encourage them to seek medical treatment. Be sure to judge their level of illness based upon their normal physical condition. I.e. do they usually have a persistent cough? • If a staff member/volunteer is ill ask them to stay away from work until well. Usually 5-7 days. • If there is illness within the home of a staff member or volunteer, recommend that they stay home several days, or wear a mask when at work. Most people will show signs of infection within a day or two of exposure to flu viruses. Individual Program Preparation Activities • Stock pile sack lunch bags, or meal clamshells in the event that social distancing is recommended by King County Public Health. • Create a phone tree within the organization to ensure meal delivery, and to keep volunteers and staff informed. • Appoint a lead to check in with K.C Public Health through their alert system, or at their website http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health.aspx • Create organizational policies that can be put into place in case of outbreak. I.e. Do you wait for Health Department to recommend social distancing, or implement at time of known outbreak? Do you quarantine the food preparation areas to keep staff safe? • Determine what the legal risks are to serving meals during an outbreak, and how to keep everyone safe. • Ask King County Public Health representative to present to your program safe mask procedures, and help create individual plans for your program. • Check best practices recommended by the CDC at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ Coalition Wide Activities • Share flu response plans in place, or best known best practices with one another through MPC network. • Combine resources to purchase emergency supplies such as paper products, hand sanitizers, and masks. • Ask Operation:Sack Lunch to demonstrate steam cleaner procedures. (Please contact Shayne if you are interested in these procedures). • Contact City and County leaders about the need for supplies, such as masks for the outdoor meal site, paper products, hand sanitizers. • Seek donations, or grants for emergency supplies. Jill expressed the need to be prepared in case of H1N1 viral mutation this summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Hunger Intervention Program has already developed a plan for their program, and Shayne will be forwarding it on to coalition members as soon as possible. It was recommended that MPC members choose 3 items that are needed to be prepared for a viral outbreak, and combine resources to make that purchase. Shayne has checked with Robin Pfohman about County grant monies for emergency preparedness, and has found that no funds exist at this time. Agency Updates/Needs 3 • Millionair Club has 50 cases of disposable 16oz drinking cups for anyone interested. If interested please contact Brent Hermann at 206-372-7368. • Seed of Abraham meal program needs your support. They are in need of snacks for their program at the Outdoor Meal Site. If you know of, or have excessive snack food items please contact Valerie Chandler at [email protected] • Shayne has sent out a letter urging the King County Board of Health to not increase health certification fees, and will keep the coalition informed as to the outcome. Coalition Updates • City of Seattle – Fe Arreola informed the group that RFIs for meal delivery have been sent to the HSD Directors office for approval, and will be informing the awardees shortly. • Food Life Line – Jessica informed the group that FLL still has the H1N1 virus updates on their website, and the order-up program will be under full swing soon. • Northwest Harvest – Bonnie Baker was not in attendance. • SFC – Was not in attendance. NEXT MEETING: June 11th, at the Compass Center. Discussing Summer Events, and possible partnership with the Census Cbeese Sauce Made Easy - Allrecipes b!tp:llallrecipes.com!HowTo/Cheese-Sauce-Made-Easy/Detail.asp; Ci Share This Article Cheese Sauce Made Easy By. Jennifer Anderson Cooking with cheese can present aJew challenges, but we're here, bravely un'efding our cheese graters and wooden spoons, ready to help! Cheese is a Re lated links favorite whether enjoyed plain, on crusty bread, sprinkled over Cheese Sauce Recpes pasta, baked Into macaroni and cheese, Macartlnl and Cheese Recipes or melted Into fondue. Cheese For'ldlJe Recipes Curdled. Luft1lY. Grainy. Olewy. These a~ words that we nevet' want to associate with cheese sauce. It seems so si"1lle to melt cheese; vet. it'S all too easy to achieve dlsappointtnllrest)lts If OUf tedlniQue isn't quite nght. Once yOu know how cheese behaves at different telf1)efi'Jltures and learn how to 91!!t ilroond a few CDnYT'IOfl pitfalls, you'U be cnoklng with cheese like a prol When CXX)ldng with CheeSe, there are a few Important points to rerrerrber, and the rest Is lust details: The les s yOU heat meese, the better. When IJli:lldno soup, sauce, or fondue, cheese should be the very last thing you add to the mixture, then heat It only long enough to melt. Often, 'tOu can remove the pan from the bumer and allow the reSidual heat of the sauce to melt the cheese thoroughly enough. Once yOU've ackled cheese to the mixture, never allow It to come to a boll or you will have a tough, OJrdled mess on 'tOur handS. • Shred, O'UIl'tIIe, Of'" finely dice the cheese before heating it to ensu~ QUIdc,. smooth melting, (Rememtler that it's rT'lKh easier to shred or dice d'lee.se when It's cold .) A110¥!' the. shreooed cheese to come to room te~rature be'ore adding It to a hot mixture. Starch, sudl as all-purpose flour, oomstarch, or potato flour, will kei!p the cheese from rutdling. If using all-purpose lioUl', it should be added to the mixture before you put the dleese In, stnce it needs to be o:x>ked fOJ" a few ITlnutes to retT'lOVl! the starchy taste. Adding an a CI dic Ingredient sud'! as wine or lemon juice will help prevent the cheese from becoming unmlnageably st1'1ngy. This 15 why rrost fondues have a base of white wine. In order to cut down on stringiness for any redpe that ca lls for meltin!} cheese, sill1lly sprinkle some lemon juice over the shredded dle.ese before you heat it. Reduced-fat dle.eses have different meltin!} d'laraaerlstics than re!}ular cheeses. They will take longer to melt and will be more tOLl9h once they have melted. So, If you're using reduced -fat cheese, be sure to shred it very finely, and allow it to melt over extremely low heat while Stirring constarrtly. Many people who wish to reduce ttle rat in their sauces find that they !}et better results from using a smaller amount of strongly flavored n!gular d1eese, rather than cooking with low-fat Cheese.s. Gettm' Saucy Oassfc cheese sauce be9ins With a bechamel sauce. a sill.,te sauce made of butter, flour, mlk. and a few seasonings. To be9ln. you will ma~ it roUX. Measure out equal arrounts of butter and flolJl'". Dice the butter loto small QJbe.s and melt It in a saucepao over low heat. Once the butter Is melteCI. be9in whisking in the flour. When all the floW" 15 Incorporated, continue stirring and cooking for a few ninutes to aaivate the starth gl'<lnules .