Interview Write-up Prepared By Andrew Gaddis

Interview with Larry Diskin
Prepared by Andrew Gaddis
On Sunday March 21, 2010, Andrew Comstock and I interviewed Larry Diskin, the Human Resources Director for Second Harvest Food Bank, in San Mateo at Starbucks, on the El Camino. Mr. Diskin took time out of his busy weekend schedule to meet with us on a Sunday morning. He welcomed us warmly and was eager to answer our questions. He was very easy to have a conversation with, which encouraged us to explore the causes of hunger in greater depth with him.
Andrew and I asked questions of Mr. Diskin, which allowed him to focus on issues relating to his experiences and opinions about hunger in the United States and around the world. Although, this interview was structured around our own questions, Mr. Diskin was able to elaborate on a broader basis, due to his extensive experience in this field. He answered our questions about the causes of hunger and he offered opinions regarding potential solutions to this ongoing problem. By the end of our interview, Mr. Diskin had fully answered our questions, and had given us a new perspective on the causes and solutions of hunger in the United States and around the world.
In preparing for this interview, I had learned that food banks help many people that live in our area. Based on my research, I thought that there was enough food for everyone, and Mr. Diskin confirmed this. During our interview, Mr. Diskin stated that his organization, Second Harvest, as well as many other food banks in the Bay Area and around the country are able to effectively redistribute a large amount of food to needy people. He explained that most of the hunger in our area is due to the cost of living in this area; people simply cannot afford to pay for food.
During our interview with Mr. Diskin, there were a few issues that came as a surprise to us. First, we were surprised to learn that homeless people, who live on the street, are only a small minority of the people Second Harvest Food Bank helps. Many of the people they assist are from families that live in houses where both parents are working and they are just bearly able to earn enough to pay the rent and gasoline. This leaves little money for food, so Second Harvest assists them in providing food for their daily needs. Another surprising issue that contributes to hunger is the specific order to a person’s wants and needs. We learned that one’s most basic and primary need is food. Next, there is a need for some form of security. Then after security, comes the aspect of being in a relationship with someone, and after relationships, comes self-esteem. Finally, a person has a need for self-actualization, or learning. The biggest surprise that Mr. Diskin related to us was the fact that the ultimate goal of Second Harvest Food Bank is to “eliminate” it self. Basically, we learned that if at some point in the future, if everyone were able to be self-sufficient, then Second Harvest’s mission would be complete and they would happily close.
I was impressed by Mr. Diskin’s knowledge of hunger in the Bay Area. Although, I have been concerned about hunger in homeless communities, I never fully realized how prevalent hunger is among the working poor. Clearly, there is a sufficient food supply, but there is a problem with the distribution system in our country and around the world. Fortunately, there are organizations in the Bay Area and throughout most of our country that provide food to needy people through the generosity of others. However, the poor and hungry in many other parts of the world are not so fortunate. Many people in these other countries go hungry even though there is sufficient food to feed them within their own countries or available from other countries through donations.