Hunger's Hope | What's the Meal Gap?

Can't view this message? Read it online May 2014 Donate Now | Tell A Friend | Your Local Food Bank In This ISSUE What's the Meal Gap in Your County? | Older Americans Month Hunger Fact |  Summer Feeding Programs |  One Easy Thing to Fight Hunger   What's the Meal Gap in Your County? Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study measures the population affected by food insecurity and the factors that contribute to need in households across the country. The information is provided in an interactive map that allows viewers to find out how widespread hunger is in their community and the impact Feeding America's nationwide network of food banks makes. Learn about hunger in your community» Share this: Older Americans Month Every year since 1963, May has been designated by the National Council of Senior Citizens as the month for the United States to appreciate and celebrate older adults and their contributions to our communities. Likewise, Feeding America participates in the movement by raising awareness and showing support for the 4.8 million seniors facing hunger in our country. Learn more about how you can support » Map the Meal Gap calculated overall and child food insecurity rates for all counties in the U.S. See how your county compares to the national rate of 15.9% of people struggle to get enough to eat. Share this   Summer Feeding Programs While over 21 million children participated in the free or reduced priced school meal program in 2011, just over 2 million children received meals during the summer months, largely due to the lack of local programs. To help meet the nutritional needs of children during the summer months, several of our food banks operate summer feeding programs. Learn about Summer Feeding Programs » #SolveSeniorHunger Help increase awareness for the issue and join our social media campaign #SolveSeniorHunger. MAKE a sign with the handwritten hashtag: #SolveSeniorHunger. Then POSE for a photo with a senior you know, while holding your #SolveSeniorHunger sign and SHARE the photo on Facebook and/or Twitter. Volunteering with Co-Workers Kate Antonacci Director of Societal Impact Initiatives for Panera Bread At Panera, my job is to make sure we’re delivering on our company’s commitment to use our scale, expertise and resources to help address the issue of hunger in America. We do so through a variety of innovative programs, including the Panera Bread Foundation’s non-profit community cafes, Panera Cares®. But we’re always on a quest to figure out how to use one of our most valuable resources – our 80,000+ associates – to further impact the cause. Read Kate's's story » HUNGER CHAMPION “I am the director of an all volunteer food pantry in the village of Wappingers Falls, NY. On average we see 50-55 families each time we are open (once a week on Wednesdays). The majority of our clients are seniors who are trying to spread their fixed incomes over rising rents, fuel costs, rx costs and health care. In 2012, we served over 11,000 individuals from our facility.”   -Joseph P. Wappingers Falls, NY HUNGER QUIZ Compared to their food-secure peers, what percentage of food-insecure seniors are more likely to report a heart attack?   44%   49%   53%   61% Get involved with Older Americans Month and help fight hunger for seniors. FeedingAmerica.org | Donate Now | Our Privacy Policy | Forward this Email | Unsubscribe Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Our mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger. Feeding America is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit recognized by the IRS. You are receiving this message at ignoble.experiment@arconati.us. If you have any questions about this message or any other Feeding America issue, contact us or call 1-800-910-5524 Connect With Us   Feeding America 35 East Wacker Drive, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60601 ©Feeding America (c)2014