Day: Nineteen
Organization: Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
Activity: Food Package Assembly
By now, you know I am passionate about food and ensuring everyone has access to it. So, I was thrilled to get to work with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank today, one of my favorite organizations.
One in six American’s are food insecure, which simply means they are unsure where their next meal will be coming from. Let me say that again, ONE IN SIX — that is horrendous in a nation known for being the “land of plenty.” An organization that is fighting this hunger epidemic is Feeding America, of which the LA Food Bank is a member. Feeding America is simply phenomenal, as they find more and more ways to effectively get food to those in need.
I have known of Feeding America for a long time, but really got to know their work in the past couple of years. And, while they have taught me so much, one thing that stands out that I want to share with you is that the face of hunger isn’t what I thought it was. You might be like me in that you picture a homeless person when you think about hunger. And, while that is one group that makes up the 1 in 6 who are food insecure, there are many, many others. With unemployment rates sky high and the cost of living going up, there are more and more people who are lacking proper nutrition. They truly are our neighbors, our colleagues and our kids classmates — regardless of where we live.
There is no simple solution to the food insecurity we face in this nation, but a first step is to acknowledge it and own up it. I say all the time that I think the number of hungry people in the U.S. is one of our dirty little secrets. Of course that makes sense, why would we want to admit that so many are in need in the richest country on earth. How embarrassing, right? Well, ignoring it won’t fix it. And, sending our resources to impoverished nations while our own people go hungry doesn’t work for me.
I encourage you to look into Feeding America and support them in anyway you can, be that financially or as a volunteer.
You can hear much more about the LA Regional Foodbank, Feeding America and my opinion in today’s video.