Get Involved|October: Food is Abundance
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more […] It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”
– Melody Beattie, author and speaker
This story is part of The Meaning of Food, Northwest Harvest’s yearlong exploration of food’s meaning in our lives and communities.
SHARE YOUR STORY
Autumn is the season of harvest, marking the beginning of that quiet transition into the lull and chill of winter. These coming months are marked by the natural cycles of rest and renewal – animals retreat to their dens, seeds are saved for planting in the first crisp weeks of spring, cellars and pantries are stocked with tubers and cans of preserves. Humans collect the bounty of the fields to prepare for the winter months, when all growing things move slowly or settle into dormancy.
Meals eaten at this time of year are often enjoyed with good company and made special by the simple act of sharing. When we have enough, we are naturally more inclined to share it. When we experience scarcity, we can feel more resistant to sharing. This instinct to hunker down and protect our limited resources is very human. When a single father struggles to put food on the table and keep the lights on, abundance is the furthest thing from his mind. When a daughter becomes the sole caregiver for her ailing mother and is juggling work, medical appointments, and the cost of prescriptions, abundance is the furthest thing from her mind. When a veteran is struggling to survive off their government benefits and can’t pay the rent, abundance is the furthest thing from their mind.
These struggles, and the people experiencing them, are real. The effects of poverty are real. Scarcity itself is real, but it is not necessary or inevitable.
The idea that hunger exists because we don’t produce enough food is outdated. In fact, we grow more than enough to feed the world’s 8.2 billion people. Yet hundreds of millions still go hungry. Why? Because much of the food we grow is used for livestock, fuel, or is lost to waste. Hunger isn’t about scarcity—it’s about access and distribution.
Only about half of the world’s crops actually feed people. The rest go to livestock, biofuels, or industrial uses. On top of that, a staggering amount of food is lost or wasted—up to 50% by weight—before it ever reaches a plate. In wealthier countries, waste happens mostly in homes, restaurants, and grocery stores. In developing regions, food is often lost between the farm and the market due to poor storage and transportation.
We’re not short on food—we’re short on systems that get it where it’s needed.
Sharing resources, even if each individual doesn’t have much, can help everyone get their needs met. One classic example of this kind of community teamwork comes from a European folktale: Stone Soup.
Stone Soup
A kindly, old stranger was walking through the land when he came upon a village. As he entered, the villagers moved towards their homes locking doors and windows.
The stranger smiled and asked, “Why are you all so frightened? I am a simple traveler, looking for a soft place to stay for the night and a warm place for a meal.”
“There’s not a bite to eat in the whole province,” he was told. “We are weak and our children are starving. Better keep moving on.”
“Oh, I have everything I need,” he said. “In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you.”
He pulled an iron cauldron from his cloak, filled it with water, and began to build a fire under it. Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a silken bag and dropped it into the water. By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come out of their homes or watched from their windows.
As the stranger sniffed the “broth” and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their fear. “Ahh,” the stranger said to himself rather loudly, “I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage — that’s hard to beat.” Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a small cabbage he’d retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot.
“Wonderful!!” cried the stranger. “You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king.” The village butcher managed to find some salt beef . . . And so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for everyone in the village to share.
The village elder offered the stranger a great deal of money for the magic stone, but he refused to sell it and traveled on the next day. As he left, the stranger came upon a group of village children standing near the road.
He gave the silken bag containing the stone to the youngest child, whispering, “It was not the stone, but the villagers that had performed the magic.”
As a community, we can be the villagers performing magic. When we share what we have—no matter how modest—we help ensure that everyone is fed. As this month’s #ArtistsForFoodJustice collaborator, Paige Pettibon says, “abundance lives in what we share.” Prioritizing equity, making sure everyone gets a plate before anyone takes seconds, strengthens our collective well-being. Believing that everyone deserves food, and redistributing resources accordingly, transforms scarcity into sufficiency. And when we grow and give with intention—avoiding excess and waste—we nourish not just bodies, but relationships and trust.
One way that we can cultivate this kind of abundance is to reframe our relationship to the natural world and practice gratitude for the gifts it provides.
Rather than extracting every natural resource from the land, water, and sky to make a profit, we can responsibly and humbly harvest what’s needed, respecting the natural reciprocity of the earth. We can choose not to hoard, resource guard, exclude, and stockpile, at the expense of our communities.
The version of a world where everyone on earth has enough to eat is not so far from our own – we don’t need more, we need each other.
The people experiencing the bleak reality of hunger in a world with staggering levels of waste are no less worthy of abundance. They have simply been denied access to it.
We’ve compiled a list with real-time support requests from our partners—items and resources they need right now to continue serving their communities. From diapers and warm clothing to commercial refrigerators and handicap-accessible vehicles, these are the tools that help keep food flowing and dignity intact.
Browse the list by visiting the link below to see what partners in your area need most.
Sharing our harvests opens hearts and strengthens bonds. What food do you love to share with others?
Share your Food is Abundance story:
Follow along at @NWHarvest on Instagram and Facebook, and join the conversation using #MeaningOfFood. Together, we’re weaving a deeper understanding of food’s role in creating a more equitable future.
Anna Nepomuceno (she/her) is the Director of Public Policy at Northwest Harvest. She leads the organization’s advocacy strategy to advance local, state, and federal laws that strengthen food security and uphold food as a basic human right. Anna analyzes public policy through an equity lens and helps shape and draft legislation that centers the needs of communities most affected by hunger. She builds and sustains relationships with lawmakers, state agencies, and nonprofit partners, championing grassroots engagement and uplifting BIPOC and other marginalized voices to ensure public policy is informed by lived experience and community power.
Natasha Dworkin (she/her) is the Director of Communications at Northwest Harvest. She leads statewide communications, storytelling, and public engagement efforts focused on building collective action toward a more just food system. Her work centers lived experience, data‑driven messaging, and values‑aligned narratives that move audiences beyond charity toward solidarity. Natasha oversees integrated campaigns, media strategy, and community engagement initiatives that elevate the impacts of public policy and federal funding on food access across Washington.
