Mental Health Along the Food Chain
“Jobs along the food chain come with their own unique set of pressures that tax the mental health of workers.”
*Trigger Warning: mentioning of suicide/mental health*
In an October post by FoodTank, they shared 22 organizations supporting mental health along the food chain, and I knew immediately that it was something I had to pass along.
These past few years have been hard for everyone, so much so that it feels as though mental health conversations and resources are finally getting the care they deserve.
And yet, recently the CDC released a report finding “that agricultural workers are more likely to die by suicide, compared to other industry groups. It also finds that workers all along the food chain experience elevated rates of suicide compared to the total study population. Studies of fishers, farmers, and hospitality workers show that the COVID-19 pandemic and its disruptions to the food chain only exacerbated these stressors.”
But there are resources out there helping to support our food workers— from those who grow and harvest to those who stock up shelves or deliver (and everywhere in between).
The full post by FoodTank shared 22 services in total, but I’m going to drop down just 8 of these organizations that are stepping up for the people who need it the most.
The full article is listed below!!
Consider Supporting!A Sip of Paradise Garden: Located in Atlanta,
“A Sip of Paradise is a bartenders' community garden that provides a healthy and safe garden space for bartenders to recharge their creativity, minds, and themselves.
Our vision is for bartenders to grow food, herbs, and flowers for themselves and their families to help transform their wellness and happiness.”
#FairKitchens: “#FairKitchens is a movement fighting for a more resilient and sustainable foodservice and hospitality industry, calling for change by showing that a healthier culture makes for a healthier business. It strives to make the industry a fairer, more inclusive, and happier place to be to keep the talent we have today and attract the talent we need for the future.
3 years on, the movement has expanded globally and attracted the support of Chefs, Operators, Hospitality Businesses, and Experts from all over the world. It opens a conversation around unhealthy working conditions, recognizing the underlying issues and focusing on bringing solutions.
These solutions take the form of sharing success and challenges from operators around the world who lead Fair Kitchens, plus resources, training, and tools from our partners.”
Culinary Hospitality Outreach and Wellness: “CHOW’s mission is to support wellness within the hospitality industry and to improve the lives of our community through shared stories, skills, and resources. Anyone who’s dined in a restaurant has experienced hospitality. From servers and bartenders to dishwashers and chefs, each person working in a restaurant gives their all to make guests feel welcome, cared for, and nourished.
Our mission is to return the favor. To care for the people who take such good care of us. To provide a place for restaurant staff to feel supported, heard, and appreciated. To facilitate gatherings where we can build meaningful connections with folks who “get it.” To lift each other up so we don’t lose anyone else to suicide, addiction, or struggles surrounding mental health.”
Healing Voices: “The “Healing Voices'' project is a uniquely new idea to address a critical gap in the farmworker organizing ecosystem – focusing on healing personal and community trauma as a needed step in increasing power for farmworkers to be drivers of change.”
I Heard You: “Dedicated to the mental health and wellness of the food & beverage industry.”
Maine Coast Fishermen's Association: “We strive to ensure that fishermen have the community infrastructure and environmental resources to maintain Maine's coastal cultural identity and sustain vibrant working waterfronts for this and future generations of Maine fishermen.”
National Association for Rural Mental Health: “The National Association for Rural Mental Health seeks to promote the linkage of the diverse voices of rural mental health, through its activities as a membership organization. As a national organization, NARMH provides a forum for rural mental health professionals, advocates, and consumers to identify issues and problems, share innovative solutions and model programs, and speak with a shared voice on issues of rural mental health concern.”
Puentes: “Puente’s weekly La Sala program, its Sunday afternoon “living room” in Pescadero, is a place for male farmworkers to gather, eat, play dominoes, and find some pleasure in the company of other single men working back-breaking jobs from dawn to dusk. Sometimes they play guitar, or swap stories about their hometowns, their wives, their children, and their other family members. Some they have not seen for well over a decade.”
Read the full article here!
cover image by https://unsplash.com/@thomasgamstaetter