Hunger affects nearly 49 million Americans of which 5 million children
According to Feeding America, a non-profit organization, hunger exists in each Congressional district and county in the United States. It affects nearly 49 million Americans of which 5 million children. We could consider that hunger is a pressing issue that influences the whole nation.
More than 200 member food banks are used by the non-profit organization to feed America and it’s considered the biggest hunger-relief business in the nation.
The Southeast Ohio Foodbank together with the non-profit organization will mobilize this September across all 50 states in an attempt to cease hunger.
When you estimate that 1 in 7 Americans fights with food insecurity, it’s not unexpected that Feeding America has chosen September as Hunger Action Month.
Caroline Cahill, a Feeding America Hunger Corps Fellow, states that we can join along with the members of Congress and assist the organizations that desire to support the health of the entire family. She considers that this is the only way we can become healthier as a nation.
Bill Shore, the co-founder of Share Our Strength, a non-profit organization committed to stopping childhood hunger in the United States says that although 11 percent of the American youngsters exist in poverty, neither the journalists nor the political candidates are giving voice to these concerns with any firmness.
The freshest of University of California’s 30 Under 30 honorees in 2016, Katie Stagliano, is now 17 years old. She founded Katie’s Crop when she was just nine years old. However, today there are 100 Katie’s Krops fields nationwide that donate fresh fruits and vegetables, which are grown by children, to those in need.
Katie explains that she is disappointed that most of the emergency food businesses could only donate packaged or processed food. Moreover, while all programs are important, she thinks that fresh vegetables and fruits are vital to a healthy diet.
However, one of the most powerful programs is joining gardeners with regional food pantries. Gardeners are donating excess vegetables and fruit to those in need at approximately 8,000 food pantries in all 50 states.
The innovation of the program is that it enables those in need to consume fresh foods, rather than boxed or canned foods frequently found in food banks and pantries. The business also prevents surplus food from ending up in landfills.
Image source: Wikipedia
