Springfield, IL – Sept. 7, 2018 – This September, Central Illinois Foodbank, together with the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks, will mobilize across all 50 states in an effort to bring an end to hunger. Hunger Action Month is designed to inspire people to take action and raise awareness of the fact that 41 million Americans, including nearly 13 million children, are food insecure, according to the USDA.
In central and southern Illinois, more than 100,000 people struggle with hunger and may not know where they’ll find their next meal. That number includes one in five kids who may not have enough to eat.
September marks the eleventh year the Feeding America network of food banks has organized this annual call to action and that Central Illinois Foodbank has participated in the Hunger Action Month movement. This year the campaign will focus on the strong connections between hunger and health.
The Hunger Action Month 2018 campaign asks people to consider how it must feel to live with an empty stomach, which puts a healthy life and a promising future at risk.
“It’s critical that people not only have access to food but that they have access to nutritious food and fresh produce,” said Pam Molitoris, executive director for Central Illinois Foodbank. “Now that children are back in school, it’s important that they focus on learning and not where their next meal will come from.”
Hunger Action Day®, the second Thursday in September, is a day where efforts across the country are focused for greater impact.
This year, on September 13th, Central Illinois Foodbank will ask supporters to Rock Against Hunger at an event open to the public that will be held at Hickory Point Bank from 10am-3pm. The goal of this event is to raise awareness about hunger in our community and for people to learn how the Foodbank and different partners work together to find creative solutions for food insecurity.
“This will be a fun event where people can learn more about the Foodbank and some of the generous partners we have,” Molitoris said. “We’re excited to debut our new produce van that will soon be delivering fresh produce to local schools.”
Central Illinois Foodbank has multiple activities planned to engage the community in hunger relief and awareness building, including:
- Rock Against Hunger on Hunger Action Day (September 13th) – Hunger awareness event at Hickory Point Bank from 10am-3pm
- #10GallonChallenge – For every $10 donated, the Foodbank can provide 10 gallons of milk. Help us reach our goal of 1,000 gallons of milk during Hunger Action Month.
- Help our Neighbors – State Farm® Insurance Agent Mark Cortesi will donate $5 for every quote provided during September to new households not currently insured with State Farm®. The donation will be doubled to $10 if the person takes a tour of the Foodbank after receiving their quote.
To learn more about Central Illinois Foodbank and other ways you can get involved for Hunger Action Month in central and southern Illinois please visit www.centralilfoodbank.org or HungerActionMonth.org.