Hunger Action Month 2013

September is Hunger Action Month - working together to raise awareness of hunger in America

 

More than 50 million people in the US face hunger; wear orange to show your support on Sept.5

Second Harvest North Central Food Bank (August 30, 2013) - Hunger advocates from north central Minnesota and across the country will be wearing orange on Sept. 5 in an effort to raise awareness of the more than 50 million people in the US who face hunger. It's just one of the many awareness events taking place throughout the month of September in recognition of Feeding America's Hunger Action Month - a month-long campaign to help end hunger in our country.

Staring Sept. 1, Second Harvest and other food banks in the Feeding America network, will kick off Hunger Action Month by holding events throughout the country to inspire people to take action to help the millions of people who are food insecure in the United States.

“If everyone would wear orange and speak out for the hungry that are largely hidden and silent, our community would begin to notice that hunger is a problem that we need to take action to end,” says Sue Estee, Executive Director of Second Harvest. “They are our neighbors, co-workers, and even family members.”

The issue of hunger is of particular importance now when 1 in 6 people in the United States are at risk of hunger. Nationally, there are more than 50 million people who struggle with hunger – including 16.7 million children.

Here in north central Minnesota, about 23,200 people struggle with hunger, including 8,800 children.

“It’s a shame that in the ‘land of plenty’ we have neighbors and friends who have to worry about where they will get their next meal,” said Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America. “By raising awareness and working together, we can solve hunger."

Among the events taking place across the country, include:

·         Hunger Action Day - wear orange to support hunger awareness (Sept. 5)

·         Second Harvest’s First Annual Hunger Action 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, September 7^th – visit www.secondharvestncfb.com for registration information.

·         Jeff Gordon's race car will display a "Hunger Action Month" sticker on it during a race at the Richmond International Raceway, thanks to a partnership with AARP Foundation. (Sept. 7)

·         Light up for hunger. Buildings around the country will be lighting up orange throughout the month to show their support. (Examples include Houston City Hall, Chase Tower in Phoenix, Sundance Square in Ft. Worth, TX) 

“We are excited to add the Hunger Action 5K event to the Hunger Action Month calendar. This is family fun activity to help raise awareness. We encourage the community to participate," says Gretchen Columbus.

The race will take place at the IRA Civic Center. The first 100 registered runners/walkers will receive a t-shirt. Registration will begin at 8:00am and the race will start at 9:00am. To register visit www.secondharvestncfb.com. To learn more about Hunger Action Month, please visit www.hungeractionmonth.org.

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About Second Harvest North Central Food Bank:

Second Harvest North Central Food Bank serves 135 hunger relief agencies in Koochiching, Itasca, Cass, Aitkin, Crow Wing, Mille Lacs and Kanabec counties. Just under 4.4 million pounds of food and grocery products were distributed through those agencies in 2012. For more information regarding Second Harvest North Central Food Bank, visit www.secondharvestncfb.com or call 218.326.4420.

Contact:Gretchen Columbus, Communications Coordinator

218.326.4420

BackPack Program Gears Up for Another Year

With summer vacation nearing the end, yet another school year is upon us. For many families this comes as a huge relief. They will soon receive the assistance of the free and reduced meal programs to help nourish their children. At many schools, children will also have the option of being a participant in Second Harvest’s Kids Packs to Go BackPack program.

The Kids Packs to Go BackPack program provides food to children who are at risk of going hungry. Weekends present a particularly challenging situation for children who depend on food programs such as free and reduced lunch to meet their nutritional needs.

The Kids Packs program seeks to fill this void and reduce the negative implications for a family without the means to meet their children’s dietary needs. Studies show that hungry children are more likely to experience headaches, stomach aches, ear infections and colds. They also tend to have lower math scores, are twice as likely to repeat a grade, and are three times as likely to be suspended from school. Some area teachers have reported that the Kids Packs have helped children to have more energy which helps them stay focused throughout the day.

Child hunger in America is a solvable issue. Programs like Second Harvest North Central Food Bank’s Kids Packs to Go BackPack Program, which puts nutritious food directly into the hands of children in need for weekends and school vacations, are making a difference in the lives of children every day. With your help, programs like this can be funded to make sure that children are not left behind.

 For more information on the Kids Packs to Go BackPack program visit : www.secondharvestncfb.com.

Second Harvest Holds Mortgage Burning Event

What a great reason to celebrate. Second Harvest North Central Food Bank completed payment on the $1,800,000 "new building" project ahead of schedule. The final payments was made in May 2013.

2012 Annual Report

Second Harvest North Central Food Bank's 2012 Annual Report is now available online. You can review the report by visiting our website, click on News & Events > In the Press > Annual Report.

www.secondharvestncfb.com

Summer Kids Pack Program Fully Funded Through Grant

Grand Rapids, MN – This summer, Second Harvest North Central Food Bank is working to end hunger in a way that they have never been able to do before. Thanks to a grant funded by Hunger Solutions Minnesota, Second Harvest is able to provide weekly Summer Kids Packs to food insecure children in the region. 

 “This grant couldn’t have come at a better time,” says Susan Estee, Executive Director of Second Harvest. “Just last week the updated Map the Meal Gap study results were released and it showed that there has been improvement, but we still have almost 9,000 food insecure children in our region. That is unacceptable and illustrates that our services are more important than ever. ”

During the school year, approximately 303,000 Minnesota children receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. However, when the school year ends, only about 20 percent of these kids continue to access similar meal programs over the summer. That means that for nearly three months out of every year, children in Minnesota are not getting the nourishment they need.

Second Harvest has been operating the Kids Packs to Go BackPack Program since 2005, when they distributed 35 packs to one school, once a month. The Kids Packs program continues to grow every year, and with each pack costly roughly $2.75, the program comes with a hefty price. During the 2012/2013 school year, Second Harvest distributed 2,200 packs to 23 schools, once per month. With the funding from this grant, Second Harvest is providing 11,400 Kids Packs to children in need, throughout the summer months, when school meals are not available. The Summer Kids Packs will be delivered once a month to the participating sites and distributed weekly by the site coordinator.

Sue says, “This was a last minute opportunity, but certainly one we could not pass up. The community is rallying to help us get the Summer Kids Packs ready for distribution to ten organizations throughout our region. Providing food to children in need is always a priority.”

This grant was made available to the Feeding America Food Banks in Minnesota by Hunger Solutions Minnesota. The funds were provided by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Communities in participating in the summer kids pack grant are: International Falls, Cass Lake, Longville, Grand Rapids, Coleraine/Bovey, Hill City, Bigfork, Brainerd, and Crosby.