Feed The Hungry

A Little History on Sandwiches

2007-12-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

1st Century B.C. - The first recorded sandwich was by the famous rabbi, Hillel the Elder, who lived during the 1st century B.C. He started the Passover custom of sandwiching a mixture of chopped nuts, apples, spices, and wine between two matzohs to eat with bitter herbs. The filling between the matzohs served as a reminder of the suffering of the Jews before their deliverance from Egypt and represented the mortar used by the Jews in their forced labor of constructing Egyptian buildings. Because he was the first known person to do this, and because of his influence and stature in Palestinian Judaism, this practice was added to the Seder and the Hillel Sandwich was named after him.

6th to 16th Century - During the Middle Ages, thick blocks of coarse stale bread called trenchers were used in place of plates. Meats and other foods were piled on top of the bread to be eaten with their fingers and sometimes with the aid of knives. The trenchers, thick and stale, absorbed the juice, the grease, and the sauces. At the end of the meal, one either ate the trencher or, if hunger had been satisfied, tossed the gravy-soaked bread to their dogs or given as alms to less fortunate or poor human. Alms were clothing, food, or money that is given to poor people: In the past, people thought it was their religious duty to give alms to the poor. Trenchers were clearly the forerunner of our open-face sandwiches.

16th and 17 Century - In Mark Morton's well researched 2004 article Bread and Meat for God's Sake, he wrote:
"What, then, were sandwiches called before they were sandwiches? After combing through hundreds of texts, mostly plays, that were written long before the Earl of Sandwich was even born, a possible (through somewhat prosaic) answer emerges. The sandwich appears to have been simply known as "bread and meat" or "bread and cheese." These two phrases are found throughout English drama from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. For example, in an anonymous late sixteenth-centry play called Love and Fortune, a young man pleads for "a peece of bread and meat for Gods sake. Around the same time, in The Old Wives Tale by George Peele, a character confesses, "I tooke a peece of bread and cheese, and came my way." Shakespeare uses the phrase, too, in The Merry Wives of Windsor, where Nim announces, "I love not the humour of bread and cheese." A slightly later anonymous play, known as The Knave in Grain, includes a pedlar called a "bread and meat man" in its dramatic personate, and Thomas Heywood's seventeenth-century version of The Rape of Lucrece includes a song made up of the cries of street pedlars, including, "Bread and - meat - bread - and meat." Dozens of other plays from the same era also make reference to "bread and meat" or "bread and cheese."

1762 - The first written record of the word "sandwich" appeared in Edward Gibbons (1737-1794), English author, scholar, and historian, journal on November 24, 1762. Gibbon recorded his surprise at seeing a score or two of the noblest and wealthiest in the land, seated in a noisy coffee-room, at little tables covered by small napkins, supping off cold meat or sandwiches, and finishing with strong punch and confused politics.
"I dined at the Cocoa Tree....That respectable body affords every evening a sight truly English. Twenty or thirty of the first men in the kingdom....supping at little tables....upon a bit of cold meat, or a Sandwich."
The Cocoa Tree, located at Pall Mall and St. James's Street, was a fashionable gentlemen's gaming club in London in the 18th century. Gaming houses in London were for the chosen few, where men of common tastes and of one class might meet together. In 1746 the Cocoa-tree Club became the haunt of politicians, particularly Tories, who met there under the guise of taking chocolate in order to hatch political plots. After 1750, only the more modest establishments survived, frequented by the public at large. The most select chocolate houses became private clubs, strictly limited to gentlemen from the ranks of high society.

1762 - It is also said that the cooks at London’s Beef Steak Club, a gentlemen's gaming club held at the Shakespeare Tavern, invented the first sandwich.
The sublime society of Beef-steaks' was very exclusive, limited to 24 members. The Prince of Wales became its 25th member. They dined off beef-steaks accompanied by generous amounts of port and arrack-punch. The members met at 5 o'clock on Saturday's from November until the end of June. Each member could also invite a friend.
John Montague (1718-1792), the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, He became First Lord of the Admiralty and was patron to Capt. James Cook (who explored New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, and Polynesia.). Capt. Cook named the Hawaiian Islands after him, calling them the Sandwich Island. Montague was a hardened gambler and usually gambled for hours at a time at this restaurant, sometimes refusing to get up even for meals. It is said that ordered his valet to bring him meat tucked between two pieces of bread. Because Montague also happened to be the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, others began to order "the same as Sandwich!" The original sandwich was, in fact, a piece of salt beef between two slices of toasted bread.

1765 - John Montague's biographer, N. A. M. Rodger, points out in the book, The Insatiable Earl - A Life of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, that the sole source for giving Montague credit for the invention of the sandwich, was gossip mentioned in a travel book by Grosley, and that at the period in question 1765, he was known to be very busy, and it is just as likely that it was for the purpose of eating at his desk. The book states:
It remains to consider the circumstances of the invention of the sandwich, which modern works suppose to have been designed to sustain its creator through long nights at the gaming table. The origin of this story seems to be a passage in Grosley's Tour to London:
"A minister of state passed four and twenty hours at a public gaming-table, so absorpt in play that, during the whole time, he had no subsistence but a bit of beef, between two slices of toasted bread, which he eat without ever quitting the game. This new dish grew highly in vogue, during my residence in London: it was called by the name of the minister who invented it."
Grosley's book is a piece of travel literature. There is no supporting evidence for this piece of gossip, and it does not seem very likely that it has any foundation, especially as it refers to 1765, when Sandwich was a Cabinet minister and very busy. There is no doubt, however, that he was the real author of the sandwich, in its original form using salt beef, of which he was very fond. The alternative explanation is that he invented it to sustain himself at his desk, which seems plausible since we have ample evidence of the long hours he worked from an early start, in an age when dinner was the only substantial meal of the day, and the fashionable hour to dine was four o'clock.

1840 - The sandwich was introduced to America by Englishwoman Elizabeth Leslie (1787-1858. In her cookbook, Directions for Cookery, she has a recipe for ham sandwiches that she suggested as a main dish.
Ham Sandwiches - Cut some thin slices of bread very neatly, having slightly buttered them; and, if your choose, spread on a very little mustard. Have ready some very thin slices of cold boiled ham, and lay one between two slices of bread. You may either roll them up, or lay them flat on the plates. They are used at supper or at luncheon.

1900’s - The sandwich became very popular in the American diet when bakeries started selling pre-sliced bread, thus making sandwiches very easy to create. Sandwiches became an easy, portable meal for workers and school children alike.

Sandwich Drive!!! Now thru Mon. Dec. 17th

2007-12-03T22:54:00.000-08:00

We would like to do a Sandwich Drive!!

With Christmas near, our hearts are open to service even more than before. We are reminded of the eventful time in history and the example that was set for us. The least we can do is love one another. This vision of 20,000,000 sandwiches from a six year old is definitely inspiring me (Mom) to be more like him. Thank you Keith.If you are interested let us know through e-mails and comments. Basically, donation would be easier if they were items to make sandwiches, such as: Bread, Peanut Butter, Mayo, Mustard, Jelly, Meats, and cheese, etc.... For the Sandwich drive you'll need a box and Ice Chest to make it easier.

I will collect these items as needed.... Especially cooler items. ( I will bring my cooler). Most shelters need supplies daily. Pick up times will be in the morning hours between 9am & 1pm. I will pick up within 40 miles of Mesa or you can e-mail for a drop point as well.
For your info:
One loaf of sandwich white bread makes approx. 24 sandwiches (depending on type). Can you see how the numbers add up quickly? One small Shelter said that they do about 300,000 sandwiches in one year. That is amazing!

You can print this e-mail to share with others and to get permission where needed. Also, if you live out of town away from Mesa, AZ and you want to participate, you can e-mail me with your address or closest major city and I will give you information on a shelter near you.

Thank you for your support and Happy Holidays!!

Keith and Family

Waste Not Phoenix Arizona!

2007-12-03T22:42:00.000-08:00

OUR MISSION IS TO ELIMINATE LOCAL HUNGER. WE DO THIS BY RESCUING EXCESS PERISHABLE FOOD THAT WOULD OTHERWISE GO TO WASTE AND DELIVERING IT THE SAME DAY TO A DIVERSE NETWORK OF AGENCIES THAT FEED THE HUNGRY.

Serving the Valley’s hungry for 20 years
Waste Not was established in 1987 because of one woman’s passionate desire to help feed the Valley’s hungry men, women and children. From humble beginnings with a donated truck, volunteers began rescuing nutritious perishable food that would otherwise go to waste, delivering it to local shelters on a regular basis. Waste Not delivered 2,500 pounds of food to local shelters in its first year. In 1990, Waste Not received its 501 (c) (3) corporate designation and has grown from a volunteer-led, grassroots effort into a full-fledged professional organization utilizing four refrigerated trucks, with a full-time staff of six people and four part-time assistants. In 2006, we delivered just under 1.5 million pounds of nutritious food to more than 80 recipient agencies. Rescuing wholesome food that would otherwise be thrown away and feeding hungry people is still our mission today and is our only initiative.

1700 North Granite Reef Road

Scottsdale, AZ 85257

Phone: 480.941.1841

Fax: 602.476.2689

Information from: The Hunger Site...

2007-12-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

Hunger in the United States
In 1999, a year marked by good economic news, 31 million Americans were food insecure, meaning they were either hungry or unsure of where their next meal would come from. 12 million of these Americans were children. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 1999
In the same year, some 5 million adults and 2.7 million children lived in households where someone in the household had experienced hunger in the previous year due to a lack of resources. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 1999
Seniors make up 16.5% of all emergency food pantry clients, 17% of all soup kitchen clients, 4% of all emergency shelters clients and 17.5% of the clients served by other non-congregate feeding programs such as Meals on Wheels. Seniors, however, only account for 13% of the U.S. population.
According to research conducted by the Urban Institute, 1.9 million seniors must choose between buying food and buying needed medicine.
Approximately 28% of all emergency food clients have missed meals in the past month. Additional research has estimated that 1.1 million seniors have skipped meals because there is no food in the house.
In 1999, approximately 12 million American children were food insecure, meaning they were hungry or at risk of hunger. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 1999
Of the more than 21 million emergency food recipients served by America's Second Harvest network, more than 8 million are children (38%). Second Harvest's Hunger 1997: Faces & Facts
46% of food recipient households with children include at least one child under age 5. Hunger 1997: Faces & Facts
9% of food recipient households report that children have missed meals in the past month because they lacked food or the means to obtain food. Second Harvest's Hunger 1997: Faces & Facts
Recent research indicates that even mild under nutrition experienced by young children during critical periods of growth may lead to reductions in physical growth and affect brain development. "The Links Between Nutrition and Cognitive Development of Children," 1998, Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy
Requests for emergency food assistance have risen by 18% in American cities - with more than half of the requests coming from families with children. U.S. Conference of Mayors, December 1999
8,659,000 children in the U.S. live in working poor families. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 1999

Happy to serve...

2007-12-03T22:07:00.000-08:00

How exciting.... I am getting a lot of e-mails and feed backs from other services. This has been a great Treasured for life event! I felt good on Thanksgiving Day knowing that I helped somebody in need.

If you know of someone doing a service, please e-mail me and I will post their story and share their link if they have one. This is a great way to help each other. Thank you for your support.
~ Keith

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

2007-12-03T22:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Keith,
Thank you so much for your effort to help us feed the hungry! If there were more kids like you around, the world would be a better place.
Just wanted to let you know that we placed a link to your blog on the homepage of our national website. Please check with your parents and let us know if this is okay with them. We’d also like their permission to post your picture there, too.
Keep up the good work, Keith!

Bob Duplantier, National Director
Membership & Technology Services
National Council of the United States
Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Inc.
58 Progress Parkway
St. Louis, Missouri 63043
314-576-3993, ext. 203

www.svdpusa.org

Hunger Report

2007-11-27T02:16:00.000-08:00

Every year, the Bread for the World Institute publishes an annual report on the state of world hunger, the hunger report. As part of the Institutes commitment to anti-hunger education, the report strengthens the anti-hunger movement by analyzing the causes of and solutions to hunger. Executive summaries of the following reports are available online, or order the entire report on our publications page.
Hunger 2008:Working Harder for Working Families
A scarcity of food is rarely the cause of hunger. There is more than enough food to feed everyone in the United States. The supermarket store shelves are stocked to the ceiling. But none of this matters if families have no money in their pockets. Poverty spoils every meal.
The lone homeless person may be the most conspicuous image of poverty in the national media. Less conspicuous, but a much larger group, are the families who cycle in and out of poverty. Families most at risk are those that are just a little better off than poor, surviving on low-wage jobs until suddenly they lose their financial footing because the main wage earner's job has been eliminated or one of the family members has a medical emergency.
Liberals and conservatives agree, no hard working family should have to raise their children in poverty—and yet the sad truth is that many are. Two-thirds of all children growing up in poverty in the United States have one or more working parents, and one-third have a parent working full-time, year round.
Three decades ago, a low-wage job was enough to lift a family of three out of poverty; today, it scarcely comes close to getting them to the poverty line, and without food assistance and other government support a family struggling to get by in the low-wage economy would be on the absolute edge of desperation. Working Harder for Working Families focuses on families struggling to get by on these kinds of jobs, living in or on the edge of poverty. It recommends policies to support low-wage workers and help them and their families build assets.

http://www.bread.org/learn/hunger-reports/

St. Vincent de Paul

2007-11-27T01:19:00.000-08:00

We Did It!!!!

Keith donated enough bread, peanut butter, and jelly to make 110 sandwiches! We saw the Society of St Vincent De Paul outside our Grocery store taking donations at Thanksgiving time for a food drive. They said that they always accept supplies for sandwiches, so we did it! Wow, what a great feeling to know that we are helping our society. Our count is at 136 sandwiches, that has been reported.

Here is some info.

Society of St. Vincent De Paul

420 West Watkins

P.O. Box 13600

Phoenix, AZ 85002-3600

602-261-6814

http://www.stvincentdepaul.net/ e-mail: Zap-CR@svdp-phx-az.org

You can contact them for their locations around the valley (Phx, Mesa, etc...)

Info from a shelter...

2007-11-16T09:33:00.000-08:00

My mom found out that Phoenix Rescue Mission will accept donations of sandwiches and sandwiches supplies. They make over 150 sandwiches a day and over 300 on the weekends. We will be looking into more places and we will accept any information you might have in your area...Please e-mail.. keithsgoal@cox.net

Phoenix Rescue Mission
1801 South 35th Ave
Phoenix AZ 85009-6706

Phone# (602) 233-3000
www.phoenixrescuemission.org/

Getting started! And counting.....

2007-11-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

I have been busy at school and enjoying my friends. I went to the zoo with my class and learned a lot of new things about the animals and the volunteers. In the mean time I have had a lot of feed back on my goal and I appreciate the support from everyone.

To add to our idea, my mom is getting in contact with some shelters to see if we can donate supplies for sandwiches.... we'd be able to multiply our services. I could easily donate 100+ sandwiches a month this way.

Wow! so far we have 27 sandwiches from others, I know that there are probably more unaccounted for. Let me know so we can do this together. Thank you again for all of the support! My first delivery is today," thank you Legacy Village for 16 sandwiches!" ( Michelle in picture.)

I have a scheduled "outing" this Saturday so I will keep you posted. And don't forget to e-mail me.

My Goal

2007-11-07T22:02:00.000-08:00

I want to reach out and feed the hungry. I chose to make sandwiches and pass them out to people that I feel could use them. In order to reach my goal, my family is helping me with this blog and spreading the word. I will be creating an account for contributions towards supplies and charities alike. So, look out for that soon. However, I am hoping that we won't even need that. Especially with your help. I will post as many pictures as I can as I do this project. I will be adding a counter for how many sandwiches I(WE) pass out and I hope that you can help too. Just make one sandwich and pass it to one person in need. I see a lot of people holding out signs on the freeways and on corners. I will look into shelters too.

Also, if you do this, just make a quick note to attach to the sandwich with my blogger web site. This way, if they ever have a chance to look at it online, they will know that I care, even at 6 years old. Maybe they will eventually join our project too.

You can help reach my goal by sending me pictures of you passing out sandwiches and together we can reach out to many people. I am really excited and can hardly wait to see how long it takes. My mom said that 20,000,000 million sandwiches is a lot and wouldn't even fit in our house at one time. Wow! that's a lot! Sounds like a great adventure. 1 sandwich a day or even a week is a lot!

What can you do to help? Let's spread the word! And don't forget to e-mail me pictures and /or notes about your day. keithsgoal@cox.net