Hunger is real.
In fact, hunger is so real, that it might just affect your neighbor. Or perhaps one of your child’s classmates had to skip breakfast this morning. That woman in line behind you? She could be hungry.
The simple matter is that hunger is real and hunger has many faces; young and old, black and white, blue eyes and green eyes. Hunger is a serious issue and it just saddens me because I don’t think that anyone should have to go hungry.
Often, when people think about hunger, they don’t even realize that people right here in America go hungry. Every. Single. Day.
The statistics will sadden you!
The reality is that there are 16 million hungry children, in the US alone! If you combined the people living in Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia and Chicago – that’s how many children have to go without food in their bellies. 1 in 5 children don’t even know when they’ll be able to eat the next time.
Watch the video below, and you’ll see.
Did you watch it? Did you hear their stories? Better yet, did you see their faces? Yeah, they look like every day people, like you and I – like someone you might pass walking down the street. You’d never have thought they were hungry. But they are; and there are millions more like them.
But we can make a change. No, one person cannot change the world. But as a community, as a nation, we can help to end this fight! There are so many ways that you and I can get involved. Here are just a few.
- Donate food to a local food pantry – Even one can makes a difference!
- Make a monetary donation – You could donate to an organization like Feeding America or a food pantry in your community. Every dollar helps and every penny matters!
- Volunteer your time – Food pantries and other organizations that help people who are hungry often rely on the help of others. Whether you’re collecting food, passing it out or running a food drive, your help matters!
These are just a small handful of the ways that you can help, with very little effort. Imagine the difference that a large group of people could make. It would be amazing!
I’ve been there. I’ve been hungry. I’ve even relied on local food pantries to help get my family through a few times, many years ago. It’s not something that I’m proud of, but it certainly isn’t something that I should feel shameful for either. It is what it is. Hunger is real and it can affect anyone!
But I want to help in the fight against hunger. If I can help even one person, I’ll have made a difference. If I can help 10 people, I’ll feel a sense of pride. And if I can help 100 people, I’ll feel wonderful and I’ll know that there are that many less people who have to go hungry for a day.
That’s why I am organizing a food drive to #ShareAMeal through Project Sunlight. By enlisting the help of my family and friends, I know that we can make an impact. I’m asking everyone I know to go through their pantries and share a can of corn or a box of rice. Any donation, large or small, is helpful and every single can of vegetables or box of mac n cheese counts!
Would you like to help?
Great, because you can! You can help in any way that you are comfortable with. You can take my ideas above, or make up your own, but no matter what, you’ll be making a difference. And I’ll tell you what; share this video and you might make an even bigger impact because other people will watch it and other people might help! http://ulever.us/ShareAMeal. I also encourage you to head over to Project Sunlight and learn how you can get involved!
Just imagine what we could do if each of us helped just a little. Are there ways that you’ve helped fight hunger before? I’d love to hear them in the comments!
