It’s Hunger Action Month but the sad fact is every day is a hunger day for one out of five American kids, who live in poverty and hunger-insecure households. This lack of nutrition not only impacts the children and their families, but also their communities and the nation at large, as the spiral of poor concentration due to hunger leads to poor grades, which eventually leads to a growing uneducated class that has a hard time lifting itself out of poverty. One of the many things we can do is give to our local food banks, or attend one of these culinary events, all happening in the next few weeks:
Share Our Strength: This extraordinary organization, begun in 1984 by brother and sister team Bill and Debbie Shore, is committed to making sure no kid in America goes hungry. They have eight Taste of the Nation events across the country to raise money: On Sunday, chef Tim McKee of La Belle Vie is hosting one in Minneapolis. Sixteen restaurants are coming together and tickets are $200. A few weeks later, Austin is getting into the act with its own Taste of the Nation event; tickets start at $500.
City Harvest’s Bid Against Hunger: The world’s first food rescue organization, they have collected and donated 42 million pounds of food in their tenure, and feed more than one million New Yorkers a year. Their annual event, which raised $1 million last year, will be on October 16. More than 70 top New York City restaurants are participating, such as Blue Hill, Al Fiori, and Tertulia. Tickets start at $350, which will fund food for 1,400 hungry children. If you’re not in NY, you can always make a contribution.
The NY Coalition for Healthy School Food: Dedicated to offering plant-based healthy options to school kids in New York State, as well as promoting farm to school programs, this organization is holding its annual fundraiser with 20 restaurants participating on October 10. Tickets start at $100.
Feeding America: The nation’s largest network of food banks, feeding 37 million Americans annually, raises awareness and dollars each and every day. One in eight Americans are fed through their network, including people that live in your own neighborhood. Contribute today.
