Struggling with Hunger
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Contributor: Robb Waugus, Director of Communications & Financial Development at The Salvation Army - Fox Cities
The Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is more important than ever. Pantry shelves that filled up over the holidays often are bare by late spring. During March here at the Salvation Army, our Emergency Food Pantry distributed 66,658 pounds of groceries to 2,188 individuals who are struggling. Also in March, our Noon Feeding Program served 2,339 warm, nutritious meals to families in need.
The timing of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) food drive is important for area pantries as demand will pick up in the summer months. With summer approaching, thousands of area children will lose access to school lunch programs – leaving them in search of alternate sources of nutritious food.
Food insecurity exists in all 72 counties here in Wisconsin. Food insecurity refers to USDA’s measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods.
According to Feeding America, there are 687,370 “food insecure” people in Wisconsin or roughly 12 percent of the population. Food insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all of the time. Food insecurity may impact a household’s need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.
Your help is critical and always needed. Not everyone struggling with hunger qualifies for federal nutrition assistance. That is where local food pantries help to fill the gaps. A couple of cans of soup and some boxed dinners can go a long way to help those struggling with food insecurity in the Fox Cities and surrounding communities. Stamp Out Hunger is a convenient way for everyone to give back and help those in need locally. You can make a difference.
Thank you for your continued support of Stamp Out Hunger this Saturday, May 14.
