The sea of orange plates scattered across Foodlink’s front lawn tells a story.
Each plate – all 156 of them – represents 1,000 food insecure people in Foodlink’s 10-county service area, which stretches from the lakeshore to the Pennsylvania border including Genesee, Monroe and Orleans counties. That’s 156,000 people, including nearly 53,000 children, who live in households that don’t have reliable access to enough healthy food.
“Food insecurity can be found in every corner of our community,” Foodlink Executive Director Julia Tedesco said. “While we understand that ending hunger is a year-round commitment, September provides us with a greater platform to raise our voice and draw attention to a critical issue that touches thousands of our neighbors.”
Feeding America’s annual awareness campaign, Hunger Action Month, takes place each September. It aims to mobilize the public across all 50 states in an effort to raise awareness of the fact that 42 million Americans, including 13 million children, are food insecure, according to the USDA.
“I’ve spent many days on the road this past year, visiting food banks, food pantries, and meal programs and meeting people who are facing hunger,” CEO of Feeding America Diana Aviv said. “It is always heartbreaking to meet a mother or father who fears that they will not be able to feed their children. They know that their children cannot reach their full potential if they don’t have enough to eat.”
September marks the 10th year the Feeding America network of food banks has organized this annual call to action. This year, the campaign will focus on the strong connections between hunger and health, and 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.
Hunger Action Day, the second Thursday, September 14, is a day when efforts across the country are focused for greater impact. Foodlink staff will wear orange every Thursday throughout the month to show their support and urges the public to do the same. There is also a way to engage with the Feeding America network on social media through the “Empty Plate” campaign. To find out how, and to learn more about ways to engage with Foodlink throughout Hunger Action Month, visit www.foodlink.org.
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