Feeding America Southwest Virginia and Kroger are joining together to bring awareness to the plight of the more than 144,000 Southwest Virginians who are food insecure – including more than 40,000 children.
This year, Kroger brings the power of its “Zero Hunger, Zero Waste” initiative as a sponsor of FASWVA’s hunger-fighting activities during Hunger Action Month.
“No family in a community we serve should ever go hungry,” said Allison McGee, corporate affairs manager of Kroger’s Mid- Atlantic Division. “We know that 40 percent of the food produced in the United States is uneaten. Meals matter to families, and our ‘Zero Hunger, Zero Waste’ initiative is intended to make a difference one family at a time.”
September marks the tenth year the Feeding America network of food banks has organized this annual call to action and Feeding America Southwest Virginia has participated in the Hunger Action Month movement since its inception. This year the campaign will focus on the strong connections between hunger and health. The Hunger Action Month 2018 campaign asks people to consider how it must feel to live with an empty stomach, which puts a healthy life and a promising future at risk.
“Despite nationwide economic improvements, here in Southwest Virginia, 12.3 percent of people still struggle with access to enough healthy food to reach their full potential,” says Pamela Irvine, FASWVA CEO. “This is especially problematic for our children, who cannot grow, succeed or learn on an empty stomach.” Hunger Action Day, the second Thursday in September, is a day where efforts across the country are focused for greater impact.
This year, on September 13, Feeding America Southwest Virginia asks supporters to share what they couldn’t do without adequate nutrition by writing on an empty plate, “On an empty stomach I can’t ______,” and filling in the blank with something they couldn’t achieve without the nutrition we need to thrive. These photos can be posted to Twitter (@faswva), Instagram (@faswva) and Facebook (@feedingamericaswva) with #HungerActionMonth to join the conversation.
Feeding America Southwest Virginia has several activities planned to engage the community in hunger relief and awareness building, including: •Feeding America Southwest Virginia/ Food Lion Feeds Food Truck Fest – Friday, September 21, 5 p.m. at the Vinton Farmer’s Market •AARP/Feeding America Southwest Virginia night at the Roanoke Pinball Museum – donate a bag of groceries for free admission! – September 26, 4-7 p.m. •P. Buckley Moss Feeding America Southwest Virginia Benefit Print Signing – September 29, noon – 3 p.m. at Sinkland Farms in Riner, VA To learn more about Feeding America Southwest Virginia and other ways you can get involved for Hunger Action Month in our community, please visit www.faswva.org.
To make a contribution to Feeding America Southwest Virginia, visit www. faswva.org/donate. -Submitted by Amanda Allen, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
