The Face of Hunger in America Has Changed

Ever have a cracker & mustard sandwich for lunch or crushed saltines with sugar and water for cereal? Been there…done that!!!

Feeding America is an organization I am supporting and I hope you will also. Find out how you can get involved today.

Many this year find themselves among the growing number of “nontraditional” food pantry clients across the country. 1 in 6 Americans struggle with hunger today. They include more formerly independent senior citizens, more people who own houses and more people who used to call themselves “middle-class” — those who are not used to fretting over the price of milk.

“We’re getting calls all the time from people who want to know how to get here,” said Kristine Gibson, community outreach manager at the Stockton food pantry. “And when I ask where they live, they give an address of a nice neighborhood, one where you or I would want to live.”

This holiday season, consider the possibility of making your dinner a food drive; you can ask your guests to bring canned goods, in lieu of house gifts…Have a neighborhood food drive with your children – make a flyer and pass around this weekend and pick up on Monday and deliver to the food bank…

Food banks are really suffering this year…because of the economy, many more people have had to call on their local food bank for help…if you have any extra money or canned goods…stories like this abound this year…please help if you can…

No matter what city you live in, and no matter what newspaper you read, you have probably seen a headline that says something like “Local Food Bank Donations Down,” or “Shelves Empty at the Food Bank.”

According to a recent thread on Chowhound, certain items are almost always a good bet:

Canned Chicken
Powdered Milk
Canned Tuna
Saltine Crackers
Soups
Juices
Jarred or Canned Spaghetti Sauce
Pasta and Rice
Grape Jelly
Canned Vegetables
Breakfast Cereals
Pork & Beans
Peanut Butter
Macaroni & Cheese
Cereal Bars
Toilet Paper and Soap
Baby food & formula
Pet food, for companion animals
Spaghetti
Egg Noodles
Flour
Sugar
Salt
Baking soda
Corn Meal or Corn Bread Mix
Quick Oats
Microwave popcorn
Ketchup
Mustard
Canned veggies
Ramen Noodles
Pasta meals in a box
Pop Tarts

What they’ve got too much of? Kidney beans.

And, of course, money donations are always welcome as well. To find the nearest food bank to you, check out The Food Bank locator from Feeding America.