Feeding America Network Food Banks Promote Hunger Action Month
This September Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, together with the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks and state associations, will mobilize across all 50 states in an effort to bring an end to hunger. Hunger Action Month is designed to inspire people to take action and raise awareness of the fact that 48 million Americans, including 15 million children, are food insecure, according to the USDA.
In Indiana, more than one million people struggle with hunger and may not know where they’ll find their next meal. That number includes one in five kids who may not have enough to eat.
September marks the ninth year the Feeding America network has organized this annual call to action. This year the campaign will focus on the strong connections between hunger and health.
The Hunger Action Month 2016 campaign asks people to consider how it must feel to live with an empty stomach, which puts a healthy life and a promising future at risk.
“Hoosiers who struggle with hunger must be able to access enough healthy food to remain a vital part of their communities, and it is absolutely crucial that children are able to have consistent, nutritious meals to grow and learn,” said Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry.
According to a Feeding America study, Hunger in America 2014: Indiana Report, more than half of households served by the Feeding Indiana’s Hungry network include someone that is in either fair or poor health.
“I’ve spent many days on the road this past year, visiting food banks, food pantries, and meal programs and meeting people who are facing hunger,” said Diana Aviv, CEO of Feeding America. “I’ve seen firsthand the anguish that food insecurity and hunger can cause. It is always heartbreaking to meet a mother or father who fears that they will not be able to feed their children. They know that their children cannot reach their full potential if they don’t have enough to eat.”
Hunger Action Day®, the second Thursday in September, is a day where efforts across the country are focused for greater impact.
This year, on September 8, Feeding Indiana’s Hungry asks supporters to share what they couldn’t do without adequate nutrition by writing on an empty plate, “On an empty stomach I can’t ______,” and filling in the blank with something they couldn’t achieve without the nutrition we need to thrive.
These photos can be posted to social media with #HungerActionMonth, @FeedINsHungry and @FeedingAmerica to join the conversation.
“With the combined effort of Feeding America, the nationwide network of food banks and hunger advocates across the country, the goal of this campaign is to raise awareness about hunger and inspire Americans to get involved,” Aviv said. “The Feeding America network is leading the fight to end hunger in the U.S. We all have a role to play in getting food to our neighbors in need. Advocate. Educate. Volunteer. Donate.”
To learn more about Feeding Indiana’s Hungry member food banks and other ways you can get involved for Hunger Action Month in around the state, please visit HungerActionMonth.org.
