Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Volunteer interview No.5
For the fifth interview of our series of Volunteer to Volunteer Interviews, Jun Ota interviewed Ryoma Kobayashi who volunteers on Fridays for our soup-kitchen preparation.
Q: What motivated you to volunteer at 2HJ?
I thought about volunteering, because I felt guilty for throwing out food at my part-time job. At this job, we sometimes threw away as much as four big trash bags of food. After experiencing this a few times, I started feeling I should do something to reduce food waste. Wondering what I could do, I remembered 2HJ. I knew of 2HJ because I took a class at my university from Mr. McJilton, executive director of 2HJ.
Kobayashi is sauteeing carrots with his great smile.
Q: What do you exactly do when you volunteer at 2HJ?
Friday mornings I go with a 2HJ driver to pick up food from a food donor to help load the van. In the afternoon, I help chop vegetables for 2HJ’s soup kitchen activity. I enjoy it because I get to chat with other volunteers. I come to volunteer every Friday.
Q: What was your impression when you first volunteered?
This was my first experience volunteering. It’s more fun than I had expected. Also, since there are many volunteers from foreign countries, I can use this as a time to learn English. As an English major student, this is the perfect place for me to practice English. However, I have to admit that what we actually do is rather simple. We just chop veggies together, wash dishes, and that’s all for Fridays! But since we work very close to each other, we get to know each other well. It’s a lot of fun chatting with other volunteers and staff members. Everybody has a background and a different story to tell. It’s anything but boring. As a college student, if I were not volunteering at 2HJ, I don’t think I would have met so many people from such different backgrounds. It’s wonderful that I get to build relationships with people through working together.
Q: How did volunteering affect your life?
I realized that “there are benefits of being a volunteer.” It can be beneficial to you when you volunteer your time for free. For instance, you can meet different people through volunteer activities. You are more likely to meet people who share the same interests. That’s because nonprofits such as 2HJ are gatherings of people who have similar concerns. I think it’s close to participating in hobby clubs. Volunteering is a great opportunity to belong to something like a college club. This is what I realized since I started volunteered at 2HJ.
“Hope this tastes good”
Q: As a volunteer, what do you think are some of the challenges that 2HJ faces?
There must be organizational challenges that are not visible from a volunteer’s perspective. Regarding volunteer activities, I think there are several challenges 2HJ faces. But those challenges might be closely linked to what is good about 2HJ.
For example, many people point out that the equipments and facility are not sufficient for soup kitchen preparations. But since we don’t have enough equipment, we need more people. I mean, when you see it differently, this lets more people participate in this activity and work together. We also cook outside facing pedestrians, which is literally an open environment for talking. It gives us an opportunity to mingle with each other. If we had a convenient sink where one person could get the work done, we would need less volunteers. Work would get more efficient, but it would be a pity to lose the charm of working with other volunteers. So, I don’t think making things more convenient always brings better outcomes. With that said, I do wish we had hot water! Washing dishes with cold water in the winter is very hard.
Q: How do you see the future of foodbanking?
I hope there will be more food banks in Japan. I think the demand is certainly there. So, I believe the number of food banks will increase in the future. With more cooperating relationships between food banks, they can share knowledge, which would increase trust from corporations. I imagine 2HJ staff are already thinking about how to build this cooperation. Also, I think it’s important to expand the scale of 2HJ. I really hope for 2HJ to continue to thrive.
Interviewer’s Note
I often spend time with Kobayashi-san when picking up food from donor companies and delivering them to 2HJ’s member agencies. I am very impressed how this college student with a very busy schedule, continuously manages to find time to be a very active volunteer. He is very open and cheerful, and since he is good at English, he creates a good atmosphere for Japanese and non-Japanese volunteers alike.
He is in his senior year as a collage student since this April, and is currently busy with schoolwork as well as his search for his job after graduation. (Are you an HR manager? I recommend Kobayashi-san to your company!) I expect that he will bring out his best in various fields in his future.
If you like this story, you might also enjoy:
Volunteer interview No.3: Kanoko Uegaki
2HJ’s new video - Thank you very much for your support!
Link to News story »
Voice from our clients - No.1: Asian People’s Friendship Society
Second Harvest Japan (2HJ) supports a wide variety of nonprofit organizations and individuals as our clients. We would like to bring their voice to you so that you know how your support to 2HJ make difference in our clients’ lives. This time, we introduce Asian People’s Friendship Society (APFS) to you. APFS supports foreign residents in Tokyo.
Food aid for foreign families
Global economy crisis after “Lehman shock” has damaged the financial condition of undocumented foreign residents who are working for their legal status of residence. Among them, several fathers of the families have been detained in the Tokyo immigration office since August 2009, which made the condition even more difficult. Families have lost income.
In order not to starve them, APFS started food aid project since end of October, 2009, with support from “Second harvest Japan”. “Second harvest Japan” is the organization that collects surplus food from the companies and distributes them to the person in need.
“Instead of our Japanese staff deciding how we give food to foreign recipients, our foreign recipients took an initiative and sorted food among themselves” (quoted from APFS’s blog)
Those families whose fathers had been detained in the immigration office received package of the rice and vegetables twice in a month. Children of the families were able to obtain enough nutrition.We also receive the food packages at the APFS office twice a month and distribute them to the foreign families on the occasion such as share meeting. The preparation of distribution of the food is helped not only by APFS Japanese staff but by everyone including foreign members as shown in the picture.
In 2010, among families who had been supported by this food aid, some family obtained special permission.
The voice from Ms. A who had been supported by food support project, and obtained special permission:
“We are so happy to see rice and vegetable in the package. The support is really helpful by finding new job. Please continue this support for people who still do not get the special permission for residence.”
Ms. A got a job and he does not need food aid any more.
Foreign families strongly wish to be self-supported. However it is not possible to do so in hunger. For now, APFS continues to support them so that they can solve their financial condition as well as their visa problem.
Comment from APFS’s staff member:
“Every month, (Second Harvest Japan) sends seven packages to our clients and delivers food to our office twice. Many of our clients don’t even know if they will have something to eat for the next day. We are very grateful to the lifeline provided by Second Harvest Japan.”
What did you think about it? Your generous support delivers food to those in need through our member organizations and groups. We would like to thank you sincerely on behalf of our clients. If you are interested in supporting 2HJ, please click the links below. Thank you very much for your continued support!
・Volunteer
・Make a donation
Now online donation is available!
We also welcome your comments and thoughts. Mail us at info@2hj.org and follow us on Twitter for the latest news about food banking in Japan (@2HJ_en in English, @2ndharvestjapan in Japanese).
If you like this story, you might also enjoy:
2HJ’s new video - Thank you very much for your support!
Volunteer interview No.3: Kanoko Uegaki
Food for Thought—Part 2: “Stamp Out Hunger”—The Largest Single-Day Food Drive in the U.S.
Link to News story »
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Food for Thought—A Look at Food Banks in the U.S.A. Part 2:
“Stamp Out Hunger”—The Largest Single-Day Food Drive in the U.S.
A postcard sent out to families across the United States as a reminder of the nationwide food drive. The woman pictured is a United States Postal Service mail carrier. (From the Stamp Out Hunger website)
Stamp Out Hunger, a nationwide food drive in the U.S., took place Saturday, May 8. It is the largest single-day food drive in the country and is organized through a collaborative effort of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) and the United States Postal Service (USPS). Hence, the play on words, to literally “stamp” out hunger in America. On May 8th each year across all 50 states, people can leave non-perishable food (canned foods, juice, rice, cereal, etc.) outside their homes for letter carriers to pick up on their regular mail delivery route. The donated food are gathered at the post office and delivered to local food banks, food pantries and other hunger relief organizations.
This year marked the 18th year of this food drive. The goal for 2010 was to surpass last year’s record of 73.4 million pounds (approximately 33,000 tons) of food collected. It is also estimated that this year, the total amount of food collected by Stamp Out Hunger in the last 18 years will reach over one billion pounds (approximately 450,000 tons).
Currently in the United States, where an estimated 49 million people live without food security, the dependency for food banks and food pantries of low income families and individuals is rising. NALC President Fredric Rolando said that “… food banks, pantries and shelters need our help more than ever this year. As families [of low income] count on them for support, they’re counting on us, and we will not back off on our commitment.”
To promote the food drive, more than 125 million postcards (pictured above) was mailed to families all over the nation.
The postcard is a very interesting idea, and the power and determination to make this food drive happen all across the country is inspiring. The dedication and creative problem-solving in the U.S. to address poverty never ceases to amaze, and is something that Second Harvest Japan can learn greatly from.
We also welcome your comments and thoughts. Mail us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and follow us on Twitter for the latest news about food banking in Japan (@2HJ_en in English, @2ndharvestjapan in Japanese).
References
All quotes and data in this article come from this Feeding America website.
If you like this story, you might also enjoy:
Food for Thought—A Look at Food Banks in the U.S.A. Part 1: From Farm to Family
Office Manager Masahiro Otake’s U.S. Food Bank Travelogue Vol. 1
What is a food drive and how can you be a part of one?
Link to News story »
Friday, May 07, 2010
Report on the 10th Anniversary Party for Foodbanking in Japan
About 220 people—those from Second Harvest Japan’s food and financial donor companies, social welfare agencies, recipient organizations, and volunteers—gathered at Yaesu Fujiya Hotel in Tokyo on April 21, 2010, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of foodbanking in Japan. Among the participants were Ms. Etsuko Ohara, author of The Challenge of Food Banking, Mr. Minoru Yano from Ueda Oils and Fats Mfg. Co., Ltd., and Mr. Paul Mori, director of Heinz Japan Ltd. At the beginning of the party each of the three extended their compliments to 2HJ and proposed a toast. During the party Charles McJilton, the executive director of 2HJ, gave a speech on the last decade of foodbanking in Japan and 2HJ’s plans for the next decade. He also handed a letter of appreciation to 2HJ’s long-time sponsor companies and agencies as well as anniversary T-shirt to volunteer leaders of the Saturday soup kitchen.
Ms. Etsuko Ohara, author of The Challenge of Food Banking
Mr. Minoru Yano of Ueda Oils and Fats Mfg. and Mr. Paul Mori of Heinz Japan proposed a toast at the beginning of the event.
Taiko performance
2HJ Executive Director Charles McJilton said thank-you to the participants.
The party was an opportunity of interactions among people involved in foodbanking in various ways, and it fostered a bond between donors and recipients. A person from a food donor company said, “Conversations with recipient organizations and volunteers have assured me that my company’s donations to 2HJ are utilized effectively. I’m very delighted.” The party was a big success as it reflected the essence of foodbanking: a bond of friendship across various people. It created a landmark point of departure for the next decade.
2HJ Office Manager Masahiro Otake
2HJ’s staff members
2HJ presented anniversary T-shirts to volunteer leaders
The charity concert on April 24 at St. Andrew’s Cathedral Church in Tokyo, the other event to celebrate the 10th anniversary, was also a big success with more than 70 people attending. We at 2HJ would like to extend our gratitude to all the participants both at the party and at the concert. For those who could not attend, our gratitude goes to you too. We hope for the continued support from all of you in the future.
Link to News story »
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Data on the Poverty in Japan
the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry of Japan
Economic Survey of Japan 2006 by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Poverty Data about the Elderly
The poverty rate of single-parent households in Japan: 54.3% (Japanese)
- English explanation by Japan Times
(Japan’s lowest poverty rate of single-parent households among OECD member countries: 54.3％ (Japanese). The article by Japan Older Person’s Co-operative Union
)
The relative poverty rate of Japan: 15.7％ (Japanese)
The rate of non-regular workers increased from 19% to above 30% during the period of 1996 and 2006. On average, part-time workers gain only 40% of payments for full-time workers per hour.
Chart about comparisons between before and after taxes and transfers: the child poverty rate of Japan increases to 14% (in 2000) after redistribution of tax money unlike the OECD average. After the redistribution, Japan’s rate gets higher than the OECD average.
Also, the survey says that more than half of working single-parent households are in poverty (in 2000). The average rate of working single-parent households among OECD member countries is about 20%.
The Japan Federation of Democratic Medical Institutions reports the poverty of 24,000 elderly people in Japan (Japanese).
The report says that around 40% of the elderly live with incomes less than \100,000 per month; around 30% say that they don’t go out because it would cost money.
If you like this story, you might also enjoy:
2HJ’s new video: “Thank you very much for your support!”
Voice from our clients - No.1: Asian People’s Friendship Society
Link to News story »
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