SECOND HARVEST: Think about hunger 365 days of the year

Thanksgiving is a day when families come together to celebrate all that they are thankful for while sharing an abundance of food. There’s nothing like the look in people’s eyes when they see  juicy turkey, candied yams, bowls of steaming hot stuffing and rich, velvety pumpkin pie.

How can we as a community help those who struggle with hunger experience the satisfaction and contentment felt from hearty meals every day? Make a commitment to hunger awareness 365 days a year!

Before you can commit to the fight against hunger, let’s learn a bit more about hunger and how it is defined. Hunger, or food insecurity, is when a person at some point in the past 12 months wasn’t sure where their next meal would come from. In 2011, nearly 750,000 people living in Wisconsin met that definition; 270,000 of those were children. 

The mission of Second Harvest Foodbank is to end hunger in southwestern Wisconsin through community partnerships. We plan to achieve our mission through a multipronged approach which includes:

• Food Distribution
• Increased Participation in Public and Private Food Programs
• Mobilizing the Public

Food Distribution – Four years ago Second Harvest distributed 8.6 million pounds of food through its 225 partner agencies in the 16 counties we serve in southwestern Wisconsin. This year we are on pace to distribute 12 million pounds of food.

Increased Participation in Public and Private Food Programs  – Two of the programs we support include FoodShare Wisconsin (food stamps) and the Summer Food Service Program.  Last year we helped provide over 3.3 million meals through FoodShare Outreach and 371,000 meals through a Summer Food Service Grant Program.

 Mobilizing the Public – Through interviews, articles, events, tours, public presentations and a variety of electronic communications channels, we raise awareness of hunger in southwestern Wisconsin and encourage the public to take action and join in our fight to end hunger.

Even after distributing millions of pounds of food and helping those who are eligible to receive FoodShare benefits from the critical program, there’s still a meal gap. In our territory alone it is estimated that the gap is still 10 million meals each year. 

But there is hope. We see it every day in the actions of our supporters. The support we receive comes in many forms. They include food and financial gifts large and small, news stories that highlight the difference we make in the lives of those we serve, a new “Like” or “Share” on Facebook, a retweet of a hunger fact, etc. These and countless other examples of the generosity we receive are humbling. They are poignant reminders that we are not alone in our fight to end hunger. 

How can you help? Right now Second Harvest Foodbank is in the middle of its largest food and fund drive campaign of the year, the NBC15 Share Your Holidays campaign. You can participate in the campaign by making a donation at local participating grocery stores and credit unions, or watch NBC15 during our Grand Finale on December 12 and phone-in your donation during a Mike’s Miracle Minute to have your donation doubled. We need your help to meet our goal of raising two million meals!

As you sit down with family over Thanksgiving and you share all that you are thankful for, remember those that struggle with hunger. Commit to being aware of hunger 365 days of the year, and commit to taking action. Together we can end hunger!