Hunger Action Month 2020: ending hunger one helping at a time

Hunger Action Month 2020: ending hunger one helping at a time

Looking for ways to advocate for your neighbors this September? Here are some ideas.

By: Emily Gallion, Grants and Advocacy Manager and Caitlyn McIntosh, Outreach/SNAP Lead

Hunger Action Month, established by Feeding America in 2008, aims to rally Americans around this issue of food insecurity in America. In 2018, over 37 million individuals were identified as food insecure in Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study. 

In the wake of COVID-19, Feeding America estimated that total would rise to 54 million.

We know that 2020 has been an unusual year. Many of the activities we typically recommend in September, such as hosting events, are high risk due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve compiled a list of COVID-friendly Hunger Action Month activities instead.

Educate yourself on hunger in America

It can be difficult for some to understand how the wealthiest nation in the world can have a hunger problem — but the hard truth is that hunger exists as close as your neighborhood. The story of families living paycheck to paycheck is all too common. After housing, transportation, and utility expenses, there is oftentimes not enough leftover to pay for food. By educating yourself on these sobering realities, you can better understand how to help others.

Share a #HungerActionMonth post

Education is powerful. We understand that not everyone is able to donate their time or money, but those are not the only two ways to get involved during Hunger Action Month. It can be as easy as sharing a social media link to spread the word to your friends that hunger is important! If there’s one thing we know to be true, is that there are many myths in the food assistance network and we need all the help we can get to debunk them. 

Make a donation to your local pantry or food bank

Food pantries and food banks both rely on generous donors to keep business running. Whether your donation is food or monetary, it will go directly back into your community to help a family in need. To donate to The Foodbank, please visit thefoodbankdayton.org/donate. Every dollar donated creates six meals!

Contact your local representatives about hunger

Social media and word of mouth are great education sources, but if there’s one thing we know to be true at The Foodbank it’s that change does not happen in a silo. Reaching out to your local representatives can be the catalyst to making a change. Whether it’s asking for a SNAP increase, additional COVID-19 relief funds, or funding for school pantries, advocating for others truly makes a difference.

Wear orange on Hunger Action Day

While the entire month of September is focused on taking action to end hunger, Feeding America has also declared a Hunger Action Day– which falls on September 10th this year. By wearing orange you can help spread awareness of Hunger Action Month and encourage others to also participate in ending hunger. 

Volunteer

Due to social distancing guidelines, some organizations are not accepting volunteers to ensure everyone’s safety. While you cannot volunteer in our warehouse, we have off-site and virtual opportunities that still allow you to help your community. Keep an eye out on our website and social media pages to keep up to date with upcoming opportunities. 

Set up a fundraiser

While it is difficult for us to be together right now, setting up a fundraiser is a great way to keep your organization, office, or team virtually together. Whether it’s a Facebook fundraiser or sites like YouGiveGoods, there are plenty of opportunities for you to make a difference. Leave some fundraiser suggestions for others in the comments below!

Grow food for you, your neighbors, or food bank

At The Foodbank, we have a 75 raised bed garden full of fresh produce that we grow for the Dayton community. Gardening is a fun and interactive way to get the family working towards a goal. If you want to be a real rockstar, you can even learn how to compost your own food waste to give your garden some extra life!

Talk to your children about hunger

There are 32,750 children in the Miami Valley who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. These children are your neighbors, classmates, and your friends. How can you and your family be advocates for these children? Feeding America has put together a Family Action Plan to assist families in speaking to their children about hunger and how it makes us feel. There are plenty of activities for you and your children to complete together and learn as a family.

Follow us on social media

Something is always going on here at The Foodbank! Volunteer opportunities, mobile pantries, mass distributions, and fun events are always posted on our social media pages. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIN, and YouTube at thefoodbankinc.