The month of September is Hunger Action Month. Initially founded in 2007, the organization Feeding America established Hunger Action Month as a time set aside for the promotion of food banks around the United States and to draw attention to the prevalence of food insecurity across the nation. The USDA reported in 2023 that 13.5% of households in the US were food insecure with some 47 million people making up those households. This year, Indiana University Health found that 1 in 7 Hoosiers struggled to put food on the table as a result of food insecurity. Food insecurity can come from a variety of factors, such as residing in a “food desert,” which is a lack of good, healthy food available for purchase in a given area, or holding insufficient wages.
How Can I Help My Community?
Volunteer Work: Northern Indiana has dozens of food banks and other resources for those in need, many of which require volunteers year-round to support the demand. Cultivate Food Rescue, the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, the Kroc Center, food pantries associated with schools and churches all over the city like the Clay United Methodist Church Food Pantry, and shelters like Hope Ministries or Center for the Homeless all provide much needed services, like feeding our local community, thereby taking away the bar of income that plagues and prevents the nation from feeding itself.
Donations: Many food pantries and shelters are always accepting donations (of monetary or physical value) and may have a list of needed items available. Donating to these organizations offers much needed support for an underfunded resource that benefits everyone in the community. Participating in local food drives is another great way to support food banks. On Sep. 27, Meals with Muffet Neighborhood Food Drive will be held to benefit the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.
Spread the Word: Many people may be unaware of the resources available to them or harbor embarrassment about being in an “unfavorable” situation. Spreading the word about the importance and ease of access regarding food banks can help ease shame that may be felt upon requiring those resources. Millions of people in this country are living paycheck to paycheck and everything seems to raise exponentially except wages. Food banks are for everyone who needs them. A family does not need to be on the street to utilize a food bank, they are for anyone who may be struggling to balance the exorbitant cost of living with getting groceries.
