Hunger is No Game

Since The Hunger Games movie came out in March, I’ve been featuring in my Today’s Ways to Help how you can fight hunger by taking a quiz from World Food Programme and Feeding America. Last October when I heard that Manna Food Bank, a local food bank in my area, was almost out of food, it didn’t occur to me that Hunger Action Month had been the month before in September. I just wanted to do something to help.

Since 11/11/11 occurred last year and it happened to be my birthday, I had planned with another friend who shares that birthday to have a big shindig. We wanted to do something to benefit a worthy charity in lieu of gifts so we collected nonperishable food and money for Manna and another food bank. A couple of days after the party (after we had recovered), we brought the food to one food bank and I mailed a gift card to the other one.

It was just a drop in the bucket but I’m sure it helped some people. This year I want to get the word out about Hunger Action Month so it doesn’t happen again. That’s why on this last day of August, I’m telling people that September is Hunger Action Month.

It’s a beautiful season of the year with the hot summer days drawing to a close. The National Association of Letter Carriers does a Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive each May, but by fall those supplies can be running short.

According to Feeding America, nearly 49 million people in America face hunger. That means one in six people go hungry, and more than one in five children. Feeding America has some great tips for how to change that. Orange is the color to wear on September 6 or go 0range digitally through the Feeding America Facebook application to raise awareness about hunger.

There’s another organization I want to share with you that makes feeding others an art. It’s Canstruction. Have you ever seen a sculpture made out of cans? If you haven’t, then you should check out their website.

I did and there were two upcoming exhibits in October that are near where I live. These shows are amazing. Often it’s architects and engineers who come up with designs made out of cans, of things like cartoon or pop art characters, scenery, animals, mermaids, just about anything you can think of. All of the cans go to food banks. It’s a great way to get publicity for your company or product while helping others get the food they need.

I have known about some of the wonderful things Manna does for years and on my website, I have a story about two fabulous ladies that started an organization to help Manna and the other local food pantries by providing fresh fruit to them.  I’ll have to save their story for another blog, but if you can’t wait, you can check out the link above.

I have to admit, orange is my least favorite color, so I don’t know if I have anything I can wear, but if you check my Volunteer and Charity Guru Facebook page, it may just be sporting orange on the 6^th.  Hope yours is, too, and if you don’t have one, maybe you can bring a few cans to your local food bank or organize a food drive at your work, church or neighborhood. It’s the charitable thing to do.