September is Hunger Action Month

Hays County, TX – August 27, 2015

September is a time for back to school, football, pumpkin flavored everything, and also a great time to join in the fight against hunger. Hays County Food Bank is joining Feeding America and the many food banks and pantries from around the nation to call on their community to take action against hunger. Who will answer that call in Hays County?

There are many ways to take action against hunger in our county. You can donate funds. We are currently fundraising for our fall campaign, Turkeys Tackling Hunger, and are looking for sponsors and supporters. Last year, nearly 3,400 food insecure families signed up for turkey boxes, and we anticipate even more this year. Visit TurkeysTacklingHunger.org and click on Donate Now to learn more about ways you can help with this campaign. Register your own hunger tackling team or participate solo. Contact Melissa Reed at mreed@haysfoodbank.org or at (512) 392-8300 x 230 for more information. All donations will be used to purchase food and support the ongoing operating expenses of the food bank.

You can also donate food. July saw the fewest community food donations this year since February. We provide food for the food insecure in Hays County all year, not just during disasters or the holidays, and we rely on the community in order to do so. You can even order through Amazon and have it delivered to the food bank. Search for Hays County Food Bank on their website.

Grow a garden and donate 10% to the food bank, visit the farmer’s market and pick up extra to donate, or volunteer at a farm and donate some of the produce you are provided with. We strive to provide fresh produce to those we serve, and we need a constant supply of it since it does spoil.

Another way you can take action against hunger is to volunteer. We always need volunteers at the food bank. We need help with our distributions, in our warehouse, at our office, driving, picking up food, gardening/farming, and occasionally offsite at events. If you are a college student seeking an internship, we also have those available during all semesters. Contact Jim Wagner at jwagner@haysfoodbank.org or at (512) 392-8300 x222 for more information.

Lastly, you can advocate on behalf of the food bank and the hungry we serve. Become a part of our Speaker’s Bureau and speak at events throughout the county. Mention the food bank at your civic groups, church meetings, or other functions. Write a letter to Congress urging them to pass a strong bill in 2015 concerning child hunger. The current law, the Healthy, Hungry Free Kids Act of 2010 is set to expire on September 30, 2015, and we need to let Congress know that ending child hunger is very important.

We hope you will take action against hunger during the month of September, as well as throughout the rest of the year. Please visit our website at www.haysfoodbank.org to view our Hunger Action Calendar for ideas. We have been serving the hungry in Hays County for 31 years now, and we hope we will continue to have our community’s support.