September is Hunger Action Month when raising awareness about hunger in the United States is the goal and asking those who can to volunteer, donate, learn and advocate to end hunger. Mayor Aguilar, in collaboration with FIND Food Bank, ordered the lights on City Hall to glow in the color of orange through the end of September as the symbol for ending hunger.
FIND Food Bank is the leading organization in the Coachella Valley that provides nutritional food to more than 85,000 residents each month. Nearly 1 in 6 residents in the Coachella Valley faces food insecurity at any given time. These include working adults, school children and seniors who struggle to make ends meet. Many often weigh the need of buying food with paying for rent and purchasing medications. The COVID-19 pandemic has only made this situation worse with many families now dealing with unemployment.
Mayor Aguilar and FIND Food Bank know many of you can help make a difference in the fight against hunger. As Mayor Aguilar pointed out in this campaign, school children cannot learn if they are hungry. Here are four actions YOU can take to end hunger:
- VOLUNTEER. Attend a volunteer orientation to learn more about safety guidelines and FIND’s work to end hunger. Click https://findfoodbank.volunteerhub.com/ to sign up to distribute food at FIND’s free mobile markets or help in the warehouse in Indio, CA.
- DONATE. Click https://www.findfoodbank.org/donate/ to go to the donations page to make a direct cash donation. You can also donate food, specifically shelf-stable proteins, at FIND’s warehouse. They need protein items like creamy peanut butter, canned tuna, canned chicken, etc.
- LEARN. Educate yourself on the current hunger crisis and the growing number of people who are food insecure. There are resources to get you started on FIND’s website and they will share some fast-facts throughout September to help you become a true #HungerFighter!
- ADVOCATE. Make sure you and your neighbors have filled out the U.S. Census. It takes 10 minutes to determine the next 10 years of funding in our community. The #2020Census helps us determine who in our community is food insecure so we know who needs our services and everyone is fed. Go to: www.my2020census.gov
Together, we can end hunger. #HungerActionMonth
