September is Hunger Action Month

August 30, 2016

This September the Food Bank of Delaware, 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 Delaware, more than 117,000 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.

“We know that hunger and poor health are intrinsically linked,” said Food Bank of Delaware President and CEO Patricia Beebe. “As an organization, we are committed to ensuring that our most vulnerable communities have access to nutritious foods that promote health and well being, especially our children. Here in Delaware, one in five Delaware live in poverty.”

According to the Feeding America study, Hunger in America 2014, 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,nd 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, the Food Bank of Delaware 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 ______,” (click this link to download the printable photo) 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, @FoodBankofDE and @FeedingAmerica to join the conversation.

To learn more about the Food Bank of Delaware and other ways you can get involved for Hunger Action Month in Delaware, please visit http://www.fbd.org/hunger-action-month/ or HungerActionMonth.org.

Get involved with our Hunger Action Month calendar!

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