Day 347 of #LiveWell2017

“In a country that wastes millions of pounds of food each year, it’s almost shocking that anyone in America goes hungry. Yet every day there are millions of children and adults who do not get the food they need.” – Feeding America

The 2014 Hunger in America survey revealed that 89% of households with children were considered food insecure. Nearly 20% of those households has a member who served in the US military. One out of every six families in hunger were evicted form their home during the prior five years. The impact of our economic policies, the recession, and inequity among neighborhoods all contribute to food insecurity in America.

Local and national help

Feeding America is working to combat these appalling statistics by providing food for people who need it through a network of food banks and pantries. This coordinated effort involves private individuals, businesses, charitable organizations, governments, and foundations. You can help by donating to them or by locating your local food bank, food pantry, or shelter and finding out what they need.

When I was in Portland, the Oregon Food Bank always needed volunteers to sort and box food and always appreciated direct donations or help with fundraisers. Here in the greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro area TABLE, Porch, the Inter-Faith Council all work to fight hunger by providing meals, teaching people about healthy eating and sources for local food, and coordinating with other organizations to serve everyone who needs food.

If you don’t want to donate money or food, consider volunteering your time to help collect, pack, sort, serve, or deliver food and meals to children, families, and the elderly in your community. No one deserves to go hungry in one of the richest countries in the world.

Help on a smaller scale

You might also check to see if there is a local “Little Free Pantry” in your neighborhood. These work kind of like the Little Free Libraries. Someone places a pantry box in a neighborhood and people donate to or take what they need whenever they need it. If you like that idea, but there isn’t one near you, then consider building one yourself and getting a movement started.

One-on-one

Of course, the easiest way to give a meal is to cook it and invite friends over or deliver it to a household of someone you know who needs a meal to get healthy, to get cheered up, or to keep from starving tonight. It’s a simple, generous act of love and can make the world of difference to someone.

Give a meal to someone who is hungry.