Local news has had a huge focus recently on the welfare of children and lots of us would like productive ways to help our most vulnerable citizens. Of course, children are a big part of our work at the Storehouse. Last year alone we helped feed over 16,000 children. With New Mexico consistently among the worst for childhood hunger and 1 in 4 kids at risk, we feel that feeding children and their families should receive greater attention than it does.
September, which is Hunger Action Month, is a great way to get that conversation started and to talk about the ways hunger impacts children and their families in our community. So what is Hunger Action Month and how can you help?
Hunger Action Month is a nationwide event that began in 2008 to mobilize community members to take action against hunger. If you’d like to help here in central New Mexico, here are some ways to do so:
- Set up a food drive with your neighborhood, businesses, service club or school. Collect healthy food like canned tuna, peanut butter, and beans which offer children great sources of protein and helps to keep them full with more energy to get through the day. It’s an easy, positive way for people to pitch in and to raise awareness of hunger. We’ll provide you all the ideas and support you’ll need to get started, including drop-off and pick-up of collection bins!
- Volunteer at the Storehouse. You can help stock shelves, help people shop in the pantry, or share other skills with us. There’s nothing quite like seeing the Storehouse in action and meeting the people you are helping to learn about the importance of fighting hunger.
- Follow the Storehouse on Facebook and Twitter and share the posts that interest you with your friends and family. Together, we can raise awareness about the numbers of families fighting hunger in New Mexico, and make positive changes in those tough statistics.
- Give a financial gift to the Storehouse. The Storehouse relies on individual gifts, which make up more than half of the donations we receive. For every dollar donated, we can provide 5 meals. All of the funding the Storehouse receives benefits our immediate community and local families.
Visit us at www.theStorehouseABQ.org to get involved with Hunger Action Month.
