Food Banks to Raise Awareness in ‘Hunger Action Month’

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley, together with the Feeding America network of 200 food banks, will mark Hunger Action Month in September by raising awareness that 48 million Americans, including 15 million children, are food insecure.

Each week, in the Mahoning Valley, member agencies are filling nearly 15,000 requests for food assistance, according to the food bank.

“Having access to healthy foods including fresh fruits and vegetables is important for the population we serve, especially for senior citizens and children,” said Michael Iberis, executive director, Second Harvest Food Bank. “Our food bank distributed 3 million pounds of produce to hungry people in the Mahoning Valley last year.”

A 2014 study conducted by  Feeding America found that nearly half of households served by its network includes someone that is in either fair or poor health.

On Sept. 8, designated at Hunger Action Day, Second Harvest is asking its supporters to share what they couldn’t do without adequate nutrition by writing on an empty plate, “On an empty stomach I can’t ______,” and filling in the blank with something they couldn’t achieve without adequate nutrition

The food bank is also asking the Mahoning Valley community to wear orange, the symbolic color of hunger, and share the photos on social media.

These photos can be posted to social media with #HungerActionMonth and @FeedingAmerica, and on Facebook.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.