Hunger Action Month and How to Empower Your Relationship with Food with Author Gina Soldano-Herrle
Hunger. It’s something all of us feel at some point in our lives but our experiences vary almost infinitely. In this episode of The Curious Compassionate, author Roxanne Chester talks with author Gina Soldano-Herrle about her picture book, Nia’s Rescue Box, and the inspiration behind it.
“I wanted to make it as accessible as possible. Everyone’s been hungry before. But there’s a difference between being hungry and being hungry and not knowing the next time you’ll be able to eat again.” – Gina Soldano-Herrle
Get ready because we’re going for it–shame, embarrassment, needing help. All kinds of things that we may try to avoid or not talk about are being brought to light today.
In the United States, 40% of all food ends up as waste. That equals about 133 billion pounds (yes with a B) every YEAR. That’s just one country.
“Anyone can shop. You don’t have to qualify, you don’t have to justify your experience being there. You don’t have to explain to anyone why you need help.” – Gina Soldano-Herrle
Nia’s Rescue Box is a doorway into a possible solution for hunger and waste. Sometimes it’s asking for help or offering it before one can ask, sometimes donating food when you know you won’t eat it before it goes bad, sometimes asking a store what happens to the food that’s past expiration date but still good and forming a partnership.
These are all ways to get involved, to be a part of a movement to revalue food and revalue people.
“I saw how it was really this dual purpose solution. It’s not just helping one area, it’s not just providing food for people in the community, it's also preventing food from being wasted.” – Gina Soldano-Herrle
A Few Highlights:
* The difference between a food bank and a food rescue.
* Ways to ask for help and how to embrace the idea of community and building a network of support.
* Sometimes it’s better to offer help because most of us do feel uncomfortable asking.
* Gina’s time at the inspirational food rescue behind the book.
* Beet chips.
* Little free libraries and little free pantries.
* Making a difference by being open to inviting people in.
* Get your child involved, pick out 3 things at the store to donate to a local pantry.
* Fermented bananas, mangoes, liquefied sweet potatoes, and watermelon popcorn.
Links🔗:
Gina’s website [https://ginasoldano.com/]
Gina on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/gina.soldano/], Twitter [https://x.com/gina_soldano], and Substack [https://ginasoldanoherrle.substack.com/]
Picture Book Peeps on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/picturebookpeeps/]
Book Recommendations📚:
Nia’s Rescue Box [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199515794-nia-s-rescue-box] by Gina Soldano-Herrle, illustrated by Abi Joy Eaton available everywhere books are sold including Bookshop [https://bookshop.org/p/books/nia-s-rescue-box-gina-soldano-herrle/20736772?ean=9798989212606], Amazon [https://a.co/d/3oEhgKW], and Barnes and Noble [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nias-rescue-box-gina-soldano-herrle/1144280599?ean=9798989212606]
Last Stop on Market Street [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22521973-last-stop-on-market-street]by Matt De La Peña, pictures by Christian Robinson
Lulu and The Hunger Monster [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53252734-lulu-and-the-hunger-monster] by Erik Talkin, illustrated by Sheryl Murray
Our Little Kitchen [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51075471-our-little-kitchen] by Jillian Tamaki
Lunch Every Day [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57600783-lunch-every-day] by Katherine Otoshi
Maddi’s Fridge [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20949046-maddi-s-fridge] by Luis Brandt, illustrated by Vin Vogel
Everybody Eats [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76065505-everybody-eats] by Jasmine Crowe, illustrated by Nadia Fisher
“Here at The Curious Compassionate we use picture books to build compassion and empathy, one picture book at a time. And we encourage readers to reach out and build understanding.” – Roxanne Chester
Tools🧰:
Vindeket Foods [https://www.vindeketfoods.org/] (Food Rescue in Fort Collins, CO)
Food Rescue US [https://foodrescue.us/]
Have a book for us that isn’t listed above? Or is there a topic that you want us to explore on a future episode? Leave a comment below. Thanks for listening!
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit picturebookpeeps.substack.com [https://picturebookpeeps.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]
