September is Hunger Action Month, proclaimed by Feeding America, the national network of
more than 200 food banks. They supply food to pantries and feeding programs, providing food to
more than 46 million Americans. It’s a big organization: the second largest charity in the United
States.
But its beginnings were much more humble.
John van Hengel was a volunteer at a local soup kitchen in Phoenix, Arizona, where he met a woman who told him she fed her children with food she found in dumpsters outside of grocery stores.
After that encounter, Van Hengel went to work. He reached out to grocery stores to ask why they threw away perfectly good food when there were so many people struggling–in America no less, the richest country on earth! Was it possible that food nearing its “sell by” date could be given to people in need?
Responding to the needs of hungry neighbors was a team effort. Leaders like Van Hengel took action, solving food insecurity problems on both national and local levels. Corporations and churches built alliances, creating a more efficient food system that would provide food to those who could not afford to buy it. Volunteers showed up at food pantries, stocking shelves and helping shoppers get the groceries they needed.
Food for Greater Elgin is part of that effort: We receive food through the Feeding America system.
So, every September, we return to our roots and remember that hunger can be ended when people work
together. It’s a time to take action and address hunger in our communities.
This Hunger Action Month, we encourage you to:
- Pay attention to what you eat! How good is food our food, how healthy the options we enjoy!
- Make a donation of food or money to a food pantry.
- Volunteer! We have a staff of seven full-time people but a cadre of hundreds of volunteers who pitch in to work together and be a part of the solution.
- Learn about the problem. Van Hengel knew about people coming to the soup kitchen where he volunteered, but was profoundly shocked about the extent of the problem. Go to Feedingamerica.org or simply google “hunger in America” to learn about what’s happening in our country.
- Ask your elected officials about hunger and let them know that this is important.
Take action! Donate to FFGE, or email volunteer@ffge.org to find out how you can volunteer today.