by Suzanne Potter, Producer
Wednesday, 9/18/24 – California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a panel discussion today on options for getting healthy food to the unhoused population.
The event will feature firsthand accounts from people experiencing homelessness, plus experts from local agencies and nonprofits.
Alba Velásquez, executive director of the council, said the discussion is aimed at finding solutions.
“We want to center our conversation around what sorts of policies need to be in place in order to make systemic change that would allow more, healthier food options to be easily accessible to some of our most vulnerable communities,” Velásquez explained.
She noted the panel will hear from community members with lived experience and will explore a more dignified approach to providing food, favoring healthier, more thoughtful choices, instead of defaulting to cheap, convenient options like instant noodles or pasta.
Velásquez suggested policymakers look for ways to increase acceptance of electronic benefits transfer at local restaurants for hot meals.
“How do we make hot meals easier to access for folks that don’t have refrigeration units to store, or don’t even have a secure place to stay, because they’re constantly moving?” Velásquez asked.
The panel, which is open to the public, will take place at 10 a.m. today at the Huffington Center in Koreatown. Speakers include the host of a podcast called “We the unhoused,” as well as representatives from the Los Angeles Community Action Network, the Los Angeles City Controller’s office, the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority and the Skid Row People’s Market.
Survey: Only 53 percent of high school students think voting is important
About 53 percent of high school students think voting is important, according to a survey out today from the nonprofit Youth Truth.
Researchers polled 115,000 American high school students, including Californians, on civic engagement and found 60 percent believe “helping others is important,” but only 44 percent feel confident in their ability to make a difference.
Jennifer de Forest, interim vice president of Youth Truth, said 30 percent of students translate their intentions into meaningful action.
“They say, ‘We don’t know where to start,'” de Forest explained. “And that’s the best-case scenario, because for many students, they’ve actually internalized the message that the system is broken, and that what they have to say doesn’t matter.”
Latino students report feeling the most disempowered. Only 26 percent have taken civic action and just 46 percent believe voting is important. Many students said they are more focused on academic success and college acceptance. But they say extracurriculars like scouting, band and sports do make them feel more civic-minded.
Kate Snow, coordinator of school climate for the Davis Joint Unified School District, which brought diverse student groups together for a youth empowerment workshop, said districts need to build young people’s confidence in the importance of their voices.
“There’s a link between how schools are engaging students and helping students see their own power and use their power, with how they see and use it in the public arena,” Snow pointed out.
The report encouraged schools to promote the importance of voting and students getting involved in their community.
