This September, Mountaineer Food Bank, together with the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks, 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 West Virginia, more than 282,900 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 of food banks 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.
“West Virginia has been decimated by layoffs and shutdowns in the coal industry that has hurt every community in the state,” said Chad Morrison, executive director of Mountaineer Food Bank. “Working folks are struggling to put healthy foods on the table for their families and children. We can’t move forward when we’re hungry and our children cannot succeed on an empty stomach”.
According to the latest Feeding America study, nearly half of households served by the Feeding America 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, Mountaineer Food Bank 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, @MountaineerFood and @FeedingAmerica to join the conversation.
Encourage your elected officials to visit the foodbank warehouse in Gassaway September 20, 21 or 22 between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. for Lawmakers Luncheon. Organizers are offering a light lunch and tours of our warehouse that distributes over 1 million pounds of food monthly to West Virginia. ‘Like’ Mountaineer Food Bank to see all of our Hunger Action Month Activities including tour and volunteer opportunities.
“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 Mountaineer Food Bank and other ways you can get involved for Hunger Action Month in West Virginia please visit www.MountaineerFoodBank.org or HungerActionMonth.org.
