Guests: Do you know what your local food bank is doing to end hunger?
For several years, Rhonda worked two jobs and still struggled to support her family that includes two children, while also pursuing a college degree. To stay within her budget, Rhonda admits she rarely bought the nutritious food she knew was best for her family. Too often, she would limit herself to a single meal a day to ensure her children had food.
“It makes you feel less than a mom when you can’t feed your children,” Rhonda says.
A neighbor told Rhonda about a nearby food pantry where she could shop so her family could have access to enough nutritious food to thrive. Now an employed college graduate, Rhonda and her family are food secure.
September is Hunger Action Month and each year the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma joins other food banks across the country to encourage the public to join us in fighting hunger and learn more about the issue of food insecurity that exists in our communities and across the country.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as inconsistent access to enough nutritious food to lead an active and healthy life. As a state with one of the country’s highest rates of food insecurity, too many Oklahomans like Rhonda know the harsh reality of hunger and a lack of resources to enough food.
In addition to neighbors like Rhonda, who else in our communities is impacted by food insecurity?
It’s the disabled veteran whose benefits haven’t kept up with inflation and is faced with tough decisions between choosing food or other vital necessities.
It’s the child who faints on a Monday morning while standing in line for breakfast at their school because they only had one hotdog the entire weekend before.
It’s a couple who both work to pay their bills and buy groceries until an unexpected expense occurs and now, they’re short on money and are faced with skipping meals until the next payday.
It’s the full-time college student juggling going to classes to earn a degree while working a part-time job and still can’t afford enough groceries for the month.
The Regional Food Bank encourages everyone to participate in conversations about how we end hunger in our communities, states and across the country. When people are fed, futures are nourished and neighbors go from simply living to truly thriving.
Here are a few options to help in the fight to end hunger:
Volunteer at the Regional Food Bank or a nearby food pantry.
Wear orange during the month of September to spread awareness and show your commitment toward ending hunger.
Encourage elected officials to support policies that help to end chronic hunger and put more Oklahomans on pathways to self-sufficiency.
Food insecurity is everyone’s issue, and to end hunger, it will require all of us working together. We believe that with a collective voice, actions and commitment we can create a movement to end hunger to help ensure that every Oklahoman ― no matter their race, background or ZIP code ― can live in a state where no one goes hungry.
Stacy Dykstra is chief executive officer of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Phi Nguyen is board chair of the organization.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Guests: What you can do to help end hunger in Oklahoma
