Food Drive Underway to Help Local Families

This September you’ll be seeing orange, as the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano encourages its supporters to Turn Orange For Hunger Relief. It’s a social media and community push to raise awareness for efforts to end hunger across the country and in the Bay Area.

BACKGROUND

Hunger Action Day was launched in 2002. By 2008 it had grown into the kickoff for a nationwide awareness campaign for the entire month of September. This year will be the 7th annual Hunger Action Month -- organized by the Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks, and supporters nationwide.

GET INVOLVED

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano serves 1 in 8 people throughout the region, providing nutritious food to your neighbors. 96 cents of every $1 donated to the Food Bank goes to food programs.

To solve the hunger problem, the Food Bank is calling on you to get involved. Here are three easy ways you can make a difference.

1. TURN ORANGE by wearing orange every Thursday in September. Orange is the official color of hunger relief and makes a bold statement to start the conversation about hunger.

2. DONATE at www.foodbankccs.org/hungeractionmonth and help us meet our goal of raising $10,000 during Hunger Action Month! Or hold a food drive with your neighbors, at work or at your place of worship. Each dollar donated provides two nutritious meals.

3. SHARE Turn your Facebook and Twitter profiles orange for the month and let everyone know you’re taking action! Share Turn Orange pics and actions you’ve taken with @FoodBankCCS and @FeedingAmerica via social media and use the hashtag #HungerAction. Invite a Food Bank ambassador to share about hunger at your school, business or place of worship.

ABOUT THE FOOD BANK OF CONTRA COSTA AND SOLANO

For nearly 40 years, the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano has been serving the community by feeding hungry people, reducing food waste, and raising public awareness about issues related to food and hunger. We serve 188,000 people a month, and in fiscal 2013 we distributed 20 million pounds of food, enough for more than 16 million meals.

ABOUT FEEDING AMERICA

Feeding America is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to 1 in 7 people through 58,000 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters in communities throughout America.

--Information provides by Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano