Hunger Action Month is coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean hunger has taken a break until next September – neither should you. Continue to speak out against hunger! There are so many things you can do to continue on with the 30 Ways in 30 Days mentality of Hunger Action Month. Here are some of the many, many opportunities out there to continue being a part of the solution to ensure every Vermonter has food on the table.

Advocate! Speak Out Against Hunger!

• Become a Hunger Champion! Make a local and national impact, much of the efforts to end hunger happen locally. Visit www.feedingamericachampions.org to learn more about becoming a champion and making an impact in the lives of your neighbors.
• Share a hunger fact about your county! Go to www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-studies/map-the-meal-gap.aspx, and share with your friends, colleagues, and your community by posting on Twitter and Facebook.
• Write to your elected officials and newspaper editors! Let them know how you feel about hunger in our state. Your voice can combine with others’ and turn into one big voice our legislature will have to listen to.
• Live a day/week on a food stamp budget! It isn’t as easy as you think it might be. Many people have taken on this challenge and have been very surprised with what they were faced with – cutting back, choosing less than healthy options and finally, going without.
• Share your stories and ideas with us at stories@vtfoodbank.org! We want to hear your experiences. Every person has a colorful and unique story to tell. Let us and others hear your story.
• Donate your Facebook status to the Vermont Foodbank! Throughout the year we have activities and updates we want to share with you and as many other caring individuals as we can reach. Give your support even further by posting our calls to action as your status on Facebook. Speaking out is that easy!

Give! $1 = 6 Meals!

Every dollar you donate to the Foodbank will help provide enough food for 6 meals! Just think $10 will feed a family of 4 for almost an entire week, $50 will feed a child for 3 months, or $100 will help a single mother keep food on the table for her child.

• Organize a brown bag lunch with co-workers or classmates! Once a month brown bag it, collect the money you would have bought your lunch with and donate it to the Foodbank. Remember $1 equals 6 meals. Your $5 salad or sandwich could feed one person for more than a week!
• Another way to support the more than 86,000 individuals, in our state, struggling with hunger is to walk! Yes, that’s right, walk. Go to Charitymiles.org and download an application for your iPhone or Android, choose Feeding America and walk, run or bike. Feeding America will give the Vermont Foodbank .25 for every mile you walk or run and .10 for every mile you bike!

Volunteer! 
 

• Give the gift of time! Visit the Foodbank or your local food shelf, shelter or meal site, volunteer your time, make friends and increase our ability to meet the need of as many individuals throughout the state as possible. Thanks to volunteers we’re able to put additional funds to feed kids, families and seniors that would otherwise be used to employ 6 full-time staff!
• Collect food and other goods! Visit your family, friends and others in your neighborhood on your bike, on foot, with a wagon or with a box and a smile of appreciation. You’ll also get the opportunity to educate others about hunger, the strides made in feeding people in need and why you support the cause.

So you see there are countless ways, both fun and serious, to you to give you the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of thousands of Vermonters. Take action and speak out, act out against hunger. One email, one Facebook post, one time volunteering, $1 given all make an impact – one that each of those that will be facing hunger today and possible every day are as grateful for as we at Vermont Foodbank are.