Special Screening of "A Place At The Table"

The Pima County Food Alliance is excited to host a special screening of the thought-provoking documentary about hunger, "A Place At The Table," by the creators of Food, Inc.  The event, which will take place at the University Marriott on September 18 at 7:00 pm, is free and open and to the public.  We'd love for you to come!Tucson is one of only a handful of communities selected to air this film as part of a larger strategy by the filmmakers to build the food movement.  It's not just another film to watch and shrug off, it's an opportunity to get involved in the fight to end hunger.  Our event in Tucson is particularly exciting in that it will be the main public feature of a larger conference about hunger being hosted by the Community Food Bank.The film takes an eye-opening look at hunger and obesity in America, and tells the story of how we had these problems mostly solved before things took a turn for the worse in the '70s and '80s.  Today, Arizona suffers from the highest rate of food insecurity in the country (29%) and national childhood obesity rates have tripled over the last 30 years, such that in 2010 more than 33% of children and adolescents were considered overweight or obese.The film will be immediately followed by a panel discussion to discuss some of the key issues.  For instance, what do we make of the claim that hunger and obesity are two sides of the coin?  If they're connected, what does this mean for the traditional anti-hunger lobby?  How can we, as ordinary citizens, contribute to the creation of a food system that promotes individual and societal health?  Can we make changes on a grassroots level, or do we need large-scale policy changes?The film and panel discussion are the only events free and open to the public during the "Closing the Hunger Gap" conference, so we highly encourage you attend.  However, you'll be able to find the keynote speakers live streaming on Sept 19-20.  We're excited for the return of Ken Meter, who addressed the PCFA last year, and we'll also hear from Mark Winne and Janet Poppendieck, experts on food policy councils and school food, respectively.  (Be sure to check out the full list of speakers and tune in at the right time by going to www.thehungergap.org.)