The Red Wagon: Facing Hunger

Although maple syrup and idyllic mountains are more likely to come to mind when people think of Vermont than the subject of hunger, the fact is that many Vermonters don't have enough money to buy groceries. Interviewing those who work in or use Vermont food assistance programs such as food shelves, food pantries, and soup kitchens, Jim Ritvo and Dave Raizman's The Red Wagon: Facing Hunger tells the story of people who experience food insecurity every day, many of whom are already vulnerable, including single mothers, children, the elderly, the disabled, and the working poor. Increasingly, middle class residents, either because of layoffs or unexpected expenses, need food assistance too. “Anybody can end up at a food shelf or food pantry,” says Wanda Hines, director of the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, echoing a theme expressed by others throughout the film and the country: namely, that many people are only one paycheck away from needing a helping hand. This awareness motivates the dedicated, supportive food assistance program staff and volunteers, who go to great lengths to allay the stigmatism of asking for help. The Red Wagon rarely raises larger questions or looks at the issue of hunger nationwide, but as a moving portrait of people serving the basic needs of their community, the film works well, providing excellent examples of novel efforts, such as a local farm that donates to a local food bank hundreds of pounds of lettuce. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Wadland)