THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER MARKS THE START OF HUNGER ACTION MONTH
Over time, I have run articles that pertain to various awareness campaigns and this week, I wanted to discuss this month’s designation of being Hunger Action Month. This initiative was launched at the start of September and it marks the beginning of a national campaign to try and help mobilize the public with regards to ways to work on taking on the issue of hunger. This annual designation is organized and facilitated by Feeding America. This organization is comprised of a network of food banks from all across the nation. With greater awareness being brought to the issue, this campaign works to help bring the public many different tools in ways to work and try to address the issue of hunger. One of the ways that you can help show support and create awareness is by wearing orange. In addition to that, many have also used social media outlets to show support by replacing their profile picture to an orange background.
Hunger Action Month originally began as a single day of awareness in 2002. A few years later, in 2008, it became a nationwide campaign where people and communities come together to volunteer, donate, raise money and learn more about the serious issue. This year, South Texas has again joined in on the campaign. Hunger Action Month kicked off with local volunteers working at the Food Bank of Corpus Christi. One in five children and one in six of all Americans suffer from hunger, and this month helps to bring awareness to this important issue in South Texas and the rest of the country.
Feeding America, one of the largest domestic-relief programs in the United States, recently completed a study called “Map the Meal Gap,” with new data each and every year. The most current figures are from 2012, and they show that Nueces County has a 15.5% “food insecurity” rate. To put that into perspective, that means that roughly 52,000 people fall under the food insecurity category in our area. Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.” Hunger Action Month works to help relieve these kinds of situations.
The Food Bank of Corpus Christi serves not only Corpus Christi, but a total of eleven counties around South Texas and the Coastal Bend. It has fought hunger since its formation back in 1982, and the Bank estimates that it feeds up to 19,000 people per week. The Bank not only provides food, but in addition to that, it also provides nutrition education to people in the area. You can find more information on hunger and how to combat it here in the area by visiting the Corpus Christi Food Bank.
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this week’s article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. Please always feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or issues regarding a Texas state agency, or if you would like to contact my office regarding constituent services. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
– State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part) County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
