Imagine Seeing All This Food Every Day and Still Going to Bed Hungry

Hunger in America

It’s hard to believe that in a land where food and drink seem to be so plentiful, 36 million Americans do not know where their next meal will come from.  In the state of New York alone, 9.8% of people suffer from food insecurity.  It boggles my mind to think that almost 1 out of 10 people I know could be going to bed hungry. 

Over 12 million children in the U.S. are growing up hungry.  The physical, mental, and emotion consequences of hunger are devastating, especially on children, and include the following:  weakened immune system, cognitive and behavior developmental problems, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, depression, and slow or abnormal development in areas such as speech, behavior, and movement. 

(See Feeding America for more statistics on poverty and hunger in the U.S.)

The ShopRite Partners in Caring Program

Ten years ago, ShopRite started this program as a year-round community-based hunger fighting campaign.  With the help of more than 50 generous manufacturers (http://www.shopritepartnersincaring.org/partners.asp), ShopRite is able to provide $2 million annually to charities like emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, child care centers, battered women’s shelters, senior programs, drug rehab centers, programs for the mentally and physically disabled, and after school programs. 

What Can I Do To Help?

Did you know that for every $1 you donate to Feeding America, Feeding America helps provide 10 pounds of food and grocery products to men, women and children facing hunger in our country?

If you shop at ShopRite, which has locations in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland, you can purchase products with the ShopRite Partners in Caring shelf tag.  The manufacturers of these products donate to the program.  Or you can contribute to the annual Check Out Hunger program by donating $1, $3, or $5 at participating ShopRite locations.

If you don’t have access to a ShopRite, there is still plenty you can do…

·         Just leaving a comment on this post can help fight hunger!  For the first 30 people who comment on this post, General Mills and ShopRite will donate one box of cereal to a food bank in ShopRite’s trading area.

·         Volunteer at your local food bank, food pantry, soup kitchen, or other local charity and help them help others.

·         Support fundraisers sponsored by local charities, or start your own fundraiser and donate the proceeds to a local charity.

·         Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about hunger in your community and encourage others to take an active role.

·         Contact your elected officials and ask what’s being done in your community to combat hunger and poverty.  Encourage them to support organizations and policies that help resolve this problem.

·         Send a tax-deductable donation to the ShopRite Partners in Caring Program: 

ShopRite Partners In Caring Fund
c/o Consumer and Corporate Affairs
P7-103 Wakefern Food Corp.
PO Box 7812
Edison NJ 08818-7812

Please help raise awareness of local hunger and poverty in your community, wherever you live!