Action Alert: Hunger in America — How You Can Help
Millions of families living in America face hunger and food insecurity every day. Your neighbor, child’s classmate or even coworker may be struggling to get enough to eat.
Hunger in America is growing. In the wake of COVID-19, unemployment and food insecurity soared, and an estimated 60 million people turned to food banks and community programs for assistance in 2020 alone.
Children and adults face hunger in every community across the country, and millions of Americans are just one job loss, missed paycheck, or medical emergency away from hunger. Hunger can affect people from all walks of life, but it doesn’t affect everyone equally — children, seniors, and people of color face hunger at much higher rates. And hunger most often affects our neighbors who live in poverty.
September is Hunger Action Month, which brings attention to the families and children that miss meals due to financial setbacks. Many families facing hunger are forced to make tough choices between buying food or paying medical bills, rent, utilities or transportation costs.
The Impact of SNAP
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the most far-reaching, powerful tool available to ensure that all Americans, regardless of background, can afford healthy food. SNAP helps feed more than 42 million Americans each month. Evidence is clear that SNAP increases food security, including among households with children who have been disproportionately impacted by hunger during COVID. This ongoing need is one reason why the Biden administration increased SNAP benefits last year, which marked the largest increase to our country’s food stamp program on record.
Taking Action
The future remains uncertain for children and families who have experienced food insecurity. It will take time for food stability to recover, but it will also take the continued support of our elected officials, public-private partnerships, and the charitable food system to achieve an America where no one goes hungry.
Here are 3 ways you can help hunger in America today:
1. No Kid Hungry: No Kid Hungry is a national campaign that works to solve problems of hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. The campaign provides numerous Facts on Childhood Hunger and many Ways You Can Help. Learn more or consider donating to No Kid Hungry at www.nokidhungry.org.
2. Feeding America: The Feeding America network is the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, working to connect people with food and end hunger. Feeding America offers tools to find your local food bank, as well as numerous ways to take action to end hunger. Learn more or consider supporting Feeding America at https: www.feedingamerica.org.
3. Bread for the World: Bread for the World is a collective Christian voice that urges our nation’s decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad by changing policies, programs, and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist. At Bread.org you can also join a letter writing team of church members and people in faith communities that regularly write to Congress members: https://www.bread.org/write-congress
More Reading and Further Information
FRAC: Hunger & Poverty in America
11 Facts About Hunger in the U.S.
