For more than 30 years, I've lived in the same neighborhood. It's nice _ with neat lawns, friendly people and a great sense of community.
Just a few blocks from my home, there's a public elementary school. Recently, I received a flier that asked for food donations to help fill the Friday-afternoon backpacks of dozens of students so they would have some food over the weekend when they return to school later this summer. The school is trying to prevent the Monday-morning arrival of students who are unable to learn because they are hungry and nutrition-deprived.
Further research led me to understand how hunger is never far from home � regardless of where we live.
"Food security" is when people have access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. "Food insecurity" is the opposite. Large numbers of families in the United States experience food insecurity. The facts are startling:
_More than 1 in 7 U.S. households (over 46 million Americans) were food insecure in 2014.
_1 in 5 of American children (15.3 million) experience food insecurity. Six out of seven low-income kids who eat a free or reduced-price school lunch during the academic year do not get a free meal during the summer.
_More than 5 million people age 60 and older face hunger � 9 percent of all seniors.
_Food insecurity rates for black and Hispanic households were substantially above the national average, with 26.1 percent of black households and 22.4 percent of Hispanic households reporting they struggled against hunger in 2014.
_Food insecurity exists in every county in the country.
_About 60 million tons of food waste is generated in the U.S. each year, of which nearly 40 million tons goes to landfills. It is estimated that 25 to 40 percent of the food that is grown, processed and transported in the United States will never be eaten.
Philanthropy by concerned individuals or businesses can address the root causes of hunger or treat the symptoms. Both approaches are needed desperately.
��Change local public policy: As a start, philanthropists can support nonprofits that promote the policy changes that address issues of poverty and hunger. A few of the organizations working on national policy include the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), The Alliance to End Hunger, Mazon, and Bread for the World.
��Support local farms: The local farm movement is growing rapidly to provide fresh, healthy produce with options such as community supported agriculture. Find a farm near you at Local Harvest. Farmers Markets support fresh food and some accept family food assistance funding such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Locate farmers' markets near you at the National Farmers Market Directory.
��Supply local food pantries: At thousands of food pantries across the United States, demand for food routinely exceeds supply and donations of food and money are always needed. Locate food pantries close to home at Feeding America. Organizations are also working to divert safe and nutritious food 'waste' into options for social and economic benefit such as Ample Harvest and The Food Waste Reduction Alliance.
��Volunteer your time: Many of the above organizations (and more) need volunteers to help carry out their missions. It takes many hands to sort, prepare and distribute food to the hungry. Volunteering time as an individual, a family or a business is one of the very best gifts you can make. Find opportunities by visiting No Kid Hungry, Food Pantries.org, or Meals on Wheels to find local opportunities to lend a hand. Learn how you can participate this summer in the USDA's Summer Food Service Program.
If you, or someone you know is struggling with hunger, call 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE to speak with a representative at the USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse to find food resources nearby.
Most readers of this column never worry about where their next meal is coming from. Like me, most do not realize that so many children are showing up for school hungry _ lacking the basic nutrition needed to succeed in the classroom, and that so many seniors and low-income individuals are hungry as well. Don't wait to get a flier on your front porch. Please act now.
