Written by: Jason Jowers, MS, MFT
We will soon be rolling into September, and with it comes all the ways we transition into new routines or back into old routines. The school year is also kicking off for many families which means keeping up with scheduling, including meal planning and school lunches. It always amazes me how much time meal planning takes for me and my family.
Sometimes when we’re in the midst of meal planning and grocery shopping, you take the ease of access to healthy food for granted. With this in mind, September is Hunger Action Month, a time when communities, organizations, and individuals nationwide come together to combat food insecurity and make a positive impact on the lives of those in need. We have to be aware that many families struggle to provide meals, especially healthy and nutritious meals on a regular basis. In this blog post, we’ll explore the significance of Hunger Action Month and delve into some impactful ways you can take action and contribute to this vital cause.
Hunger Action Month
Hunger Action Month is a powerful initiative started by Feeding America that aims to raise awareness about the critical issue of hunger and inspire action to address it. Across the United States, millions of people, including children, families, and seniors, struggle to access enough nutritious food to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. This month-long campaign serves as a call to action, encouraging everyone to participate in activities that help fight hunger and make a meaningful difference.
For many families and individuals, hunger remains a constant challenge. So, what can we do about it? Below are some impactful ways that we can take action within our local communities.
Feeding America shares this blog post on “7 ways to help during Hunger Action Month.” They highlight ways to support and get involved by wearing orange during the month of September, donating to your local food bank, or volunteering at that food bank or a local food pantry. They also highlight the upcoming White House conference on hunger, nutrition, and health.
“Over 38 million Americans (1 in 8), 12 million of whom are children (1 in 6), struggle with finding their next meal. At the same time, over a third (35%) of the food in America goes uneaten or unsold.” (Move for Hunger, 2023). Move for Hunger also has some great resources and ways to get involved during Hunger Action Month. Check out these 30 ways to take action this September.
For more on food insecurity issues particularly for military families, be sure and take advantage of OneOp’s 2023 Military Family Readiness Academy focusing on “Military Families and Food Security: A Call to Action.” The 2023 Academy Series offers a self-paced course, “Advancing Food Security for Military Families,” as well as two on-demand webinars, “Supportive Programs and Benefits to Expand Food Security for Military Families” and “Building Networks to Alleviate Food Insecurity.” Also, be sure to take advantage of OneOp’s Food Security in Focus collection, offering live and on-demand programming related to food security.
Blog Post Image: DVids [1st TSC Soldiers support local food drive, photo by Sgt. 1st Class Josephine Pride, Dec. 9th, 2015, CC0]
