OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON

In regards to his "healthier America" initiative and expressed interest in anti-obesity campaigns:

Dear President Clinton:

I was very excited to see you taking a professional (and personal) interest in the concerns of adolescent obesity, both within this country and worldwide. The evidence is overwhelming of the devastation that this condition is already causing, and few realize just what it may be like for thousands of people (including young people) to live their entire lives under the restrictions of medications, diabetes, diets and other disabilities caused or exacerbated by weight and nutritional challenges.

However, what are less well discussed at this point are programs dedicated to empowerment philosophies or youth engagement models and the kinds of solutions these ideas would recommend. This approach assumes that the best solutions for social and cultural challenges are those that use tactics that allow people impacted by the condition to have an active, vital role in understanding the condition and formulating the solution. Under your administration, much work was begun by the National Research Council/Institute of Medicine to assess the impact of these Community Programs to Promote Youth Development strategies. (As printed by the National Academy Press in 2002.)

Now many agencies that provide services for young people—and community development projects overall—are experimenting with ways to incorporate this approach into their efforts. Here in California, a collaboration between justice, education, drug and alcohol and mental health services associated with the state government have even begun to strategies on how their collective efforts will be improved through these kinds of empowerment efforts. (You will soon be able to find this online at the California Research Bureau of the California State Library; the working name of the report is Youth Development and California Youth Policy, 2005.)

Unfortunately, even the best of these efforts move forward because of funding opportunities not because they understand the power and potential of this approach. And I for one believe that if we do not step up and put an empowerment strategy on the table for anti-obesity issues, we will be set back tremendously and waste many resources on projects that do not work.

An empowerment approach against obesity seeks to address the full range of influences about food and nutrition in a way that makes young people (and communities as a whole) feel that it is all right to talk about the details of our food policies. (A great source of information on youth development in general is viewable at The Forum For Youth Investment. Such projects would thus put young people and average citizens “at the decision-making table” where critical choices and opportunities for wellness are controlled.

I developed one idea that I call the Nickel-A-Meal Campaign. My idea is to develop a movement of people who will make it comfortable for the fast food industry (and other restaurants and grocery stores, etc.) to voluntarily collect an extra nickel for each customer purchase—a drive through donation! While the default is to collect this nickel automatically (which customers will know is happening because of the visible display of a distinct logo at the establishment), customers will be able to opt out if they want. When they do not opt out, however, they will see that this potentially huge amount of money will be turned over to local or regional charitable entities who can then competitively distribute it on a regular basis to exercise, nutrition AND food empowerment projects. From what I understand, even the computerized cash registers can do all the work, including transferring funds as needed for good record keeping!)

My interest is in the food empowerment aspects because they would be projects where young people—inside or outside of school—would work with food business owners, suppliers, marketers, customers, etc. to come up with ways to gain the public’s voice in food-related policies. When food outlets are here and there it is one thing; when they are on every corner and predominate in commercial and even educational venues, then the public has a right to be part of the discussion to make sure that the results are not hurting us or our families.

Since the recent CNN coverage of your interest indicated that you would be meeting with the fast food leaders in the coming months, I would like to have the chance to work with you or your staff to find a way to put the Nickel-a-Meal or a similar food empowerment strategy in place. The nonprofit sector desperately needs new, advocacy-friends funding sources. And this idea is one that I believe will work. I have a good history of fundraising and administrative success in the nonprofit sector, which you can see on my Online Resume!

I am in the process of seeking a fiscal agent for my nonprofit entity to move this project forward. I would love to partner with your library and foundation professionals to at least get the concept on the table where the large players will have a chance to help develop the concept.

I hope that someone will call me to discuss this idea or other ways that I might be able to help. I am committed to this cause and the idea of empowerment overall and I would be honored to partner with your efforts to make them truly successful.

My best,

Allan Shore