Banking on a Diet: A Documentary

Banking on a Diet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jamp5HYDDqg My documentary is about people with diet-related diseases and restrictions who receive food from a food bank. There has historically been very little research on this clientele, but that is changing. In 2014, the hunger research organization Feeding America asked Americans seeking food assistance if they had a diet-related disease. According to Feeding America's Hunger in America report, the survey found that 58 percent of national households have a member with high blood pressure. In Arizona, that's 54 percent. The survey also found that 33 percent of national households have a member with diabetes. In Arizona, that's 42 percent. Dietary restrictions such as food allergies or religious guidelines, on the other hand, are still not reported. I interviewed several food bank clients who, aside from having a diet-related disease, can't eat certain foods because of an allergy, adverse reaction with their medications, or religious guidelines. No matter the individual case, food banks are beginning to realize there's a growing population of clients who can't get the food they need. Food banks nationally, and in Arizona, are taking steps to accommodate the clients they serve who have diet-related diseases and/or dietary restrictions. My documentary focuses on those food bank clients, as well as what the food banks are doing to accommodate them. The biggest issue is that food banks can only work with the food they receive, or use the money that's donated to them to purchase food. The food banks do their best with what they're given and the clients do the same. According to Association of Arizona Food Banks, two of the food bank leaders in diet-conscious services are Desert Mission, a member of AAFB and the HonorHealth system, and Cultural Cup, an independent food bank separate from AAFB. I focused on these two food banks and their clients for my documentary.