September is Hunger Action Month: a time when the Feeding America network and the national public come together to raise awareness and help our neighbors facing the impossible choices of hunger. With an understanding of the economic and health impacts that COVID-19 has left on our community, we believe it’s more important than ever to bring attention to the reality of food insecurity in central North Carolina.
For this year’s Hunger Action Month, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is proud to announce that we are partnering with the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and the Food Bank are two of Feeding America’s resource agencies for food insecurity in our region. Together, we will work to promote ways for our community to get involved in the movement to help end hunger. Hunger Action Month’s 2021 campaign theme is “Food shouldn’t be an impossible choice.” Hunger Action Day, September 17th, is a day when we—as an agency and across the nation—collectively focus our efforts for greater impact.
Food shouldn’t be an impossible choice, and for many, a daily meal is a simple choice between dishes. However, for millions of Americans, a daily meal is a choice between food and other crucial needs; needs like medicine, electricity, or childcare. Food insecurity has always been the core base of being for the Food Shuttle and the Feeding America network, but we as a community must adhere and adjust to the impacts of COVID-19, as it has left many of our neighbors with increased need of assistance. No one should be forced to choose between food, medicine, electricity, or other basic necessities.
During Hunger Action Month, all members of the community are encouraged to take action. Every donation, volunteer shift, and social media post bring the efforts of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and the Feeding America network that much closer to our goal: a hunger free community.
We invite you to take action this month in three ways: learning, giving, and activating.
LEARN
Visit https://www.foodshuttle.org/hunger-101 to learn about hunger in and our community and across the state of North Carolina
Read real stories of people facing hunger at https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog
GIVE
Make a donation to Inter-Faith and have it matched through your company’s matching gift program, www.FoodShuttle.org/HAM
Sign up to volunteer at Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. Learn about volunteer opportunities at https://www.foodshuttle.org/volunteer
Host a virtual or neighborhood food drive. Learn how to set up your drive at https://www.foodshuttle.org/donate-food
ACTIVATE
Wear orange (the color of hunger awareness) throughout the month of September to spread awareness and show your commitment towards ending hunger.
Post on your preferred social media platform and explain how you are choosing to end hunger. Ask your followers to join you!
Organize a group volunteer day at Inter-Faith. Learn about group volunteer opportunities at https://foodshuttle.org/groupvolunteer
To emphasize the need for increased hunger relief efforts, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina have also created a calendar for 30 Days of Hunger Action. 30 Days of Hunger Action is an interactive way to continue learning, giving and activating. We’re asking our community to participate in as many days as possible, as each effort directly helps our neighbors in need. Click here to access our calendar.
At Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, we believe that hunger IS solvable and that food shouldn’t be an impossible choice. Our partnership with the Food Bank reaffirms our beliefs that our community should work with one another to create a healthy and hunger-free North Carolina. Across our region, many face the impossible choice between a daily meal and other necessities. You have a choice. Choose to end hunger. Together, we can win the fight against food insecurity.
Hunger Action Day on Friday, September 17, was a day when collective actions across the country were focused for greater impact on raising awareness about hunger relief efforts. North Carolina First Lady Kristin Cooper lent her voice to such efforts by volunteering at the Food Shuttle Farm on Hunger Action Day, joined by team members from the Food Shuttle and the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. As an added awareness initiative, the NC Governor’s Mansion was lit with orange carriage lights in observance of Hunger Action Day and throughout the following weekend.
Thank you to our partner, First Horizon Bank, for their support during Hunger Action Month. It’s only through collaboration that the Food Shuttle can build a hunger free community.
Laura Bunn, Triangle Market President of First Horizon Bank, shares, “First Horizon is proud to continue our support of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and appreciates the partnership. We are fortunate to have Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, who provides a local food bank making such an impact in our community, particularly in the past year as food insecurity has become even more prevalent due to the effects of COVID-19.”
