Feed the Hungry

On October 12, 2010, the BBC News reported that the number of malnourished people in the world now exceeds one billion, or approximately one sixth of the world’s total population. And in the United States, where the minimum wage has gone down nearly 22 percent since the 1970s, the number of people living below the poverty line increased from 25 million in 1980 to 36.9 million in 2010, according to the latest Census Bureau report. If there is a hallmark of American life over the past ten years, it has been the growth of soup kitchens and the need for food banks all across this country. Each year, more than 30 million Americans are affected by hunger, and an estimated one in every four children goes hungry part of each month.

The statistics are heartbreaking and tragic, but there are a number of things that you can do to help take action in your community:

Volunteer: Every agency needs help in reaching out to and feeding the hungry among us. Food gathering, preparation, and distribution all take time and manpower.

Donate: All soup kitchens and food banks in this country must have some resources. Food and money is needed to insure that these services run properly, effectively and efficiently.

Advocate: Get involved in any way you can to make sure people are aware of the needs of the hungry in your community. Hunger and poverty is everywhere, but it isn’t always visible.

The following is a list of links to various agency websites and resources where you can find out more about working with and feeding the hungry in your community: