Fight Hunger In Shorewood During National Hunger Action Month

SHOREWOOD, WI — For millions of families in Shorewood and other U.S. cities, a daily meal isn’t a choice between fast food or a home-cooked meal. Often, the choice is between a meal or paying rent. It’s sacrificing dinner for a life-saving medication or to keeping the electricity on at home.

September is National Hunger Action Month, a day set aside to encourage Americans to take a stand against hunger in their communities.

Milwaukee County is among those where residents struggle with food insecurity, according to Feeding America, the nation’s largest network of food pantries and food banks.

Before the pandemic, 11 percent of people in Milwaukee County were considered to be food insecure, according to Feeding America. The continuing economic fallout from the pandemic has increased that number to 15 percent who are on the brink of hunger.

While National Hunger Action Month falls in September, food insecurity is something you can combat any month of the year.

Here are five things you should know about National Hunger Action Month and how you can support those facing food insecurity in Shorewood:

Know The Facts About Hunger

Some people think hunger isn’t an issue in the United States. That simply isn’t true.

Eighteen months into the coronavirus pandemic, millions of Americans are facing food insecurity, according to Feeding America. In fact, Feeding America estimates that as many as 42 million people — including 13 million children — could experience food insecurity in 2021. As a result, food banks nationwide have seen a nearly 55 percent increase in use.

Why are so many people facing food insecurity this year? The pandemic has disproportionately affected Americans working low-wage jobs throughout the United States. A low-wage job is defined as one where a worker makes $10.22 per hour or less.

In 2019, an estimated 53 million people qualified as low-wage workers, according to Feeding America. During the pandemic, nearly half of low-wage workers reported a job loss or reduced wages during the pandemic, forcing many to decide which expenses to cover and which to forgo.

Donate To A Shorewood Area Food Pantry

Food pantries and food banks have experienced a 55 percent spike in usage through the pandemic, according to the latest Feeding America data, erasing a decade’s worth of progress toward ending hunger in the United States.

Donating to a food pantry is simple. Food pantries accept any food that is “shelf-stable” or nonperishable — this means you can keep it in your pantry and it won’t go bad. It’s also a good rule of thumb to only donate food that hasn’t reached its “sell-by” date yet.

See a list of what to donate to food pantries and what to avoid.

Here are the nearest food pantries in Milwaukee:

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin

1700 W. Fond Du Lac Avenue, Milwaukee 414.931.7400

Volunteer At A Food Bank Or Pantry

More than half of all food programs in the United States rely entirely on volunteers, according to Feeding America. While volunteering can look different depending on where you’re at, here’s a sampling of the jobs you might do:

• Keeping pantry shelves stocked and assembling food boxes for pickup.
• Help with fundraising or raise awareness of food pantry services.
• Delivering meals or food boxes.
• Assist with distribution at drive-thru or mobile food pantries.

To volunteer in Shorewood, check with any of the food pantries listed above.

Host A Fundraiser/Attend An Event

You can take action against hunger in Shorewood by hosting a fundraiser for Feeding America or any other local food bank or food pantry. Not only is it a great way to fight food insecurity, it’s also a fun way to interact with others while making a difference in your community.

Here are a few ways you can fundraise for Feeding America:

• Organize a fundraiser at work.
• Give meals instead of gifts for your birthday, wedding or any other special occasion.
• Use your talents to fundraise. Hold a bake sale. Sell your artwork. Set up a lemonade stand with the kids.
• Host a charity stream on Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, YouTube or Facebook and recruit your followers to give.

If you prefer to fundraise for another local food pantry or food bank, contact them to see how you can help.

Lobby Your Lawmakers

You can use your voice to advocate for those struggling with food insecurity. Federal food programs are a necessity in ending hunger — for every meal a food pantry provides, government food programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provide nine.

Organizations like Feeding America make it easy to reach out to your lawmakers using these contact forms.

Feeding America serves 200 member food banks that serve and supply 60,000 food pantries, kitchens and meal programs around the country.

FIND FOOD
Find your local food bank

DONATE
Make a donation to Feeding America*

READ
"The Impact of Coronavirus On Food Insecurity"

ACT
Take action against hunger