September is Hunger Action Month!
Every year, Feeding America and its member food banks ask Americans to advocate in the fight against hunger. In Ohio, 1 in 4 children experiences food insecurity. These children are our colleagues’ families, our kids’ classmates, and even our own neighbors. Getting our kids involved in making sure that no child goes hungry, is one of the best ways to give back!
Here are ten ways to get your family involved in Hunger Action Month:
1. Find your closest food pantry. Check out the The Dayton Foodbank’s full list of agencies here and find the one closest to your home. Ask them if they have volunteer opportunities for children and which items they are most in need of.2. Take a trip to your local library. Stone Soup, Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen, Rosie: The Shopping Cart Lady are a few books for younger readers that introduce the themes of hunger and homelessness in an age-appropriate way.
3. Go apple or pumpkin-picking. Find a local farm here and have your kids load up one bag for your family, and another for a local food pantry.
4. Find out what types of food donations are most needed. Check out lists like this and this with your kids and then take them on a shopping trip to pick up items for your local food pantry, homeless shelter or soup kitchen.
5. Take the SNAP challenge. Challenge your family to eat on a SNAP budget for one week. Follow these guidelines and have your kids plan out the week’s meals spending only $4.40 per day!
6. Make a call or visit to your local Congressperson’s office. You can find out more about legislation pertaining to hunger in America here. If you don’t know who your Congressional representative is, you can find them here. Take your kids to visit their office, learn more about the legislative process, and tell them where you stand in the fight against hunger!
7. Sign up for programs that give back. Ask your kids to help you choose local organizations to be the recipients of funds when you shop at your favorite stores. Sign up for Amazon Smile, Kroger Community Rewards, or Dorothy Lane Market’s Good Neighbor Program.
8. Have a family movie night. Rent a movie and make time to discuss how it made your children feel afterward. Some kid-friendly movies dealing with hunger and poverty include A Place at the Table (PG), The Pursuit of Happyness (PG-13), The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (PG-13), or even The Hunger Games (PG-13).
9. Plan a classroom food drive or bake sale. Talk to your child’s teacher about organizing a classroom food drive for non-perishable food items. Younger children can even help decorate a container to accept donations in. You can also sign up to host a community or school bake sale through the Great American Bake Sale, with proceeds benefiting No Kid Hungry.
10. Volunteer with The Foodbank of Dayton. Call the Foodbank at 937-461-0265 to inquire about volunteer opportunities. Also, be sure to check out their 30 Ways in 30 Days to give you more ideas on how to get involved in Hunger Action Month!
