September is Hunger Action Month
Trends in Service
Volunteering During an Economic Crisis
During these economic tough times, do you find yourself giving less and less to your favorite charities? A new study by the Corporation for National and Community Service has found that even though people are giving less money, they are giving more time—and time is something we all can give!
The study at Volunteering in America found that in 2008, 61.8 billion Americans contributed 8 billion hours of volunteer service. In dollar amounts, their service was worth $162 billion (based on a $20.25 dollar value of a volunteer hour). The results of the study also showed that, despite the challenges of difficult economic times, the number of volunteers increased from 2007 to 2008 by about one million!
As our economy slows, nonprofit organizations are forced to provide services on smaller budgets—thus, volunteers become even more vital to the success and health of our nation’s communities. And the records of American nonprofit organizations show that volunteers are stepping up to the plate! Between September 2008 and March 2009, more than one third of the organizations reported an increase in their numbers of volunteers—and their much-needed contributions of time and effort.
During this Summer of Service—and always—Feeding America is grateful to our many hunger advocates and volunteers, who tirelessly work in local communities to make sure our nation’s families and children don’t go hungry. Want to see how your time can make an impact?
Visit the Hunger Action Month site today!
Give a Little Time to Help Feed A Lot!
Hunger Action Month is right around the corner—it’s time to make every minute count for hunger relief!
Hunger Action Month is Feeding America’s most important national initiative of the year—it’s a time when we work together with our 205 member food banks and countless supporters across the nation to raise hunger awareness and inspire the public to take action in the fight against hunger. As part of our overall Hunger Action Month activities throughout September, we will be asking our advocates from across the nation, to give their time and voice to help support our public policy issues.
What’s going on during Hunger Action Month?
- The Food Bank Competition. Our goal during Hunger Action Month is to inspire the public to advocate for public policy solutions to hunger. Earn minutes for every action you take on the Hunger Action Center—your accumulated totals will be added to your food bank’s total minute tally, and the top food banks will win a truckload of food! There are many actions you can take to earn minutes through the Hunger Action Center:
- Send a letter to Congress—5 minutes
- Call Congress—10 minutes
- Tell Feeding America your story—15 minutes
- Tell your friends about Hunger Action Month—5 minutes
- Spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, and other sites—10 minutes
- Download a badge to display on your website or blog—15 minutes
- A Focus on Child Hunger. With Child Nutrition Reauthorization scheduled to come up in the fall, our advocacy efforts during Hunger Action Month will focus on the fight against child hunger. There will be many opportunities to help educate our elected officials about the importance of government funding for critical Child Nutrition Programs—and to urge their support of this important legislation.
- Hunger-Relief Events at Local Food Banks. From food drives and town hall meetings to brown bag lunch days and packing backpacks for kids [INSERT UPDATED EVENT INFORMATION]—there will be countless opportunities to help solve the problem of hunger in our communities. Find an event near you and show your support for your local food bank during Hunger Action Month.
All throughout September, you can give a little time for hunger relief. Won’t you start now? Visit the Hunger Action Month website to sign up for the Food Bank Competition—and start making every minute count against hunger!
Watch your inbox for more information about Hunger Action Month!
United We Serve
2009’s Summer of Service
In June, President Barack Obama issued a challenge to all Americans to engage in sustained, meaningful service that will support the growing social needs resulting from the current economic downturn. He called it “United We Serve”—it’s a summer of service running from June 22 through September 11, which will be a National Day of Service and Remembrance. His hope is that it will grow into a sustained and focused effort that promotes service as a way of life for all of us.
On June 25, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off the Summer of Service by joining hundreds of Congressional family members at Ft. McNair in Washington, D.C., to prepare 15,000 backpacks with books, healthy snacks, and other items for the children of servicemen and women.
So far this summer, there have been many events across the country focused on service. Read about just a few:
- On July 27, President Obama thanked players from the WNBA “for participating in our United We Serve summer of service. Earlier today, these players took time to host a WNBA Fit Clinic for young boys and girls at a local Boys and Girls Club, to teach fitness and nutrition and self-confidence.”
- Governor Timothy M. Kaine of Virginia participated in two volunteer projects for United We Serve in July—a park clean-up and the weatherization of a home. “Today was a mixture of inspiration and perspiration, and it was great,” said Governor Kaine. “The teens from YCC (Youth Conservation Corps) tackle important projects in our parks, work long, hard hours and develop an appreciation for the environment and the outdoors. The lessons they learn here will influence them for the rest of their lives.” (From Serve.gov)
- On July 23rd, in support of United We Serve, Deputy Secretary of HUD Ron Sims and Director of White House Office of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrion joined Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and members of Teens 4 Good to harvest fresh produce at the East Poplar Urban Farm in Philadelphia. Part of the farm is devoted to City Harvest, a program that trains prison inmates to raise vegetables at community gardens for local food cupboards. Last year, City Harvest worked with 35 community gardens to help feed 640 families for an entire growing season. (From Serve.gov)
The summer of service is not over yet! Have you decided how you want to participate?
Check out Feeding America’s United We Serve website at www.feedingamerica.org/serve to find out how you can volunteer at your local food bank or help fill America’s fridge through our “Virtual Food Drive.” You can help us meet our goal of providing access to food for one million more people each year who are facing hunger! There are also many great service ideas at the government’s United We Serve website, www.Serve.gov , where you can register your project and find other opportunities to serve.
United We Serve—spend your summer in service!
Advocate Stories
The Local Impact of the Economic Recovery Package
There’s been a lot of talk recently about the $787 billion Economic Recovery Package. Is it helping? Has it made a difference? At Feeding America, we have heard from our advocates, and their stories tell us the recovery package is making a real difference!
Gus from the San Francisco Food Bank:
Feeding American people with federal funding is the right thing to do, during the second hardest time of an economic crisis this country has experienced to date. These stimulus funds offer the chance to continue taking medications that require food to consume, to better the positive effects of those life-saving medications, and the food that allows for that medication to work at its utmost benefit.
This was and is the correct action any concerned administration can take to support the housing, nutritional, and daily needs of the millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet during these difficult economic times.
Thank you President Barack Obama, everyone in the House, Congress, and anyone involved in sharing the responsibility of solving this crisis in America.
Betty from the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina:
In my 19 years as Director of a food pantry, I have never seen the needs as great as they are right now, and growing larger every day. Without these programs like TEFAP and the food stamps, other agencies like ours (which is small) would fail to meet the needs that are before us every day. Even now it is beyond us to help many, and we fear what will become of those—as well as more—[who] are facing hardships beyond what they can manage, and feed[ing] their families has become very frightening. With the help of these programs, we will do our very best to help those in need. Without these programs we will fall far short of reaching many children. [This] is one of our great fears—that children in America or anywhere [have] to go hungry for the lack of programs that will make all the difference in their lives. Please don’t let this happen.
Sincerely,
Betty D.
Director of the Ministries of The Bread of Life
Tim from the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana:
We are seeing a regular 30% increase in clients through our church food pantry over the same month last year. The additional TEFAP and (FEMA) dollars mean that we can serve our clients with a larger assortment of outstanding food. This additional assistance helps our regional food bank to help us.
Would you like to tell Feeding America how the Economic Recovery Package is helping your community?
Click here to share your story!