Avenue Magazine Edmonton

Posted by Tamisan Bencz-Knight in Top 40 on Jan 25 2010 15:32

For almost 30 years, Edmonton's Food Bank has successfully fed the city's hungry thanks to the support of the community. The food bank appreciates the generosity of Edmontonians who have donated funds and food to keep our organization operating. In a perfect world, food banks would not be necessary and everyone would have their pantries and fridges full of food. Food insecurity would not exist.

Tamara Stecyk from the special events and community relations department at Edmonton's Food Bank, was struck by photos related to food banks that she came across on the Internet. Active in social media, Stecyk is also aware that there is a strong photography community in Edmonton and proposed an online contest that would explore the nature of hunger in our society.

Expressions of Hunger invites photographers and writers to submit photos, poetry and short prose in these five categories or elements: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and environmental. Submissions for the contest are accepted until March 31, 2010. In April 2010, the photos will be posted online where people can vote for the top three images, poems and short prose in the five categories. Winners will be notified on May 3, 2010.

The selected three winners in each of the five hunger categories will be showcased at an Edmonton art gallery on National Hunger Awareness Day on June 1, 2010 and exhibited at various locations throughout June.

Edmonton's Food Bank is hoping that the entries from Expressions of Hunger will provoke discussion in our community about the causes, challenges and solutions of hunger. Writers and artists can use their mediums to explore what hunger means to them or how it can be interpreted through the five categories.

Please make a difference and express how you interpret hunger, whether by participating in the contest, voting for an entry or visiting a gallery exhibiting the winning entries. For more information please visit us at edmontonsfoodbank.com.

This blog was written with Tamara Stecyk, manager of special events and community relations at Edmonton's Food Bank.

Tamisan Bencz-Knight is the resource development co-ordinator for Edmonton's Food Bank. She has volunteered for the food bank in some capacity since she was 10 years old. She is also an alumnus of Avenue's Top 40 Under 40.