National Life is committed to the cause of feeding children. According to the USDA, more than 38 million people, including 12 million children, in the United States are food insecure. The pandemic has increased food insecurity among families with children and communities of color, who already faced hunger at much higher rates than before the pandemic. Every community in the country is home to families who face hunger. But rural communities are hit especially hard.
There are many things that you can do in support of this misson.51% of all food programs rely entirely on volunteers.
Every volunteer experience is a little different. Here are some things you might do:
- Sort and pack food: You can keep the shelves stocked by assembling food boxes for distribution.
- Assist at mobile pantries, drive-thru pantries, and no-contact distributions: Help your neighbors feed their families.
- Deliver meals: With many communities sheltering in place, you can help ensure our most vulnerable neighbors have the food they need while staying safe.
- Glean and garden: Volunteers collect food left in the fields after harvest or help tend the food bank or food pantry’s community garden.
- Volunteer from home: Some food banks have moved their volunteer shifts online and are asking volunteers to help fundraise or spread awareness
You may even have extra produce from your garden that may not make it to your table. Please consider donating it to your local food shelf. We can all do our part to help our neighbors in need.