Growing in knowledge and understanding of Hunger Action Month
Encounter at Catholic Charities
It can be challenging in mid-Missouri to realize the depth of food insecurity that exists within our own neighborhoods.
Even in affluent areas, many households across mid-Missouri struggle to provide healthy food for their families on a consistent basis.
September is Hunger Action Month — an annual campaign supported by Feeding America to bring the nation together to reduce food insecurity in the U.S.
The first step in reducing food insecurity?
Knowing about it.
The national Hunger Action Month campaign asks each of us to come together to know and understand food insecurity, particularly in our own communities.
Beyond seeing and understanding the lack of healthy food available to neighbors, Hunger Action Month hopes to inspire action on a local level.
Finally, it dares us to envision an America without hunger.
These are steep goals for a month-long campaign.
Let’s dive in.
Missouri is one of the top 10 states with the highest levels of food insecurity in the country.
Hunger in Missouri adversely impacts every person in the state, because food is the fuel with which strong schools, strong workplaces and strong communities are built.
The Food Bank of Central and Northern Missouri supplies much of the food available in local pantries across our diocese.
Our Food Bank does so at no cost to these local pantries — a huge community support.
This food is provided through a combination of Feeding America funds, donations and grocery rescue.
The Food Bank also supports the Catholic Charities Food Pantry located in Jefferson City, enabling us to feed families who come for a wide variety of reasons.
Sometimes they need pantry support because they make low wages, or are not given adequate working hours, or recovering financially after an emergency medical situation.
Many of the families we see are just above qualifying for other food supplemental supports like SNAP or WIC.
Some families just need help to get through a month here or there.
Whatever the reason families come to us for assistance, the Catholic Charities Food Pantry welcomes them with an open heart.
We at Catholic Charities, alongside community partners like The Food Bank and SSM St. Mary’s Hospital, are working hard to address the root causes of hunger.
Earlier this month, we received the incredible invitation to become a member agency of the United Way of Central Missouri.
Our collective ability to know — and then move from knowledge to understanding — the food insecurity landscape will increase our ability to resolve these disparities in access to food.
As an agency, we both serve and advocate for the neighbors with open pantry shifts and by participating in community action events for housing and transportation.
We provide educational opportunities in the demonstration kitchen, nutrition workshops, activity and health programs, and referrals to other Catholic Charities services in financial stability and housing counseling.
We partner with community organizations to connect families to all the remaining resources available to them the best way we can, by leading with a neighbor relationship built on trust and quality of care, following up with referrals to services we know will help them thrive.
As you learn about food insecurity, and the ways we at Catholic Charities are working to address it, you may feel called to take action.
It is well within your grasp to make a positive impact for those who live in your neighborhood, work in your office, send students to your children’s school, or attend Mass in your parish.
So, what can be done?
There are so many ways to move toward a future where our neighbors have access to fresh, nourishing food — here are three ideas for you:
The first is to donate.
Donate items or money to your local pantry or to your food bank.
Every dollar makes a difference to the families around you whether they are a family of 1 or 10.
The second is to fundraise.
There are several fun and engaging ways to support your community and be an integral part of the community.
You could participate in fundraisers that already exist or be creative and come up with your own.
Call us up at Catholic Charities — we have food barrels and friendly staff ready to help set up a food drive at your work, school, or church.
The third is to volunteer. Your local pantry, and The Food Bank, likely have open volunteer opportunities to fill!
Pantries all have different hours and services that you can get plugged into.
Some examples of ways to offer your service: stock shelves, pick up food from grocery rescue, engage with neighbors to distribute food, even delivering groceries for those that struggle with transportation.
We have open pantry volunteer shifts at the Catholic Charities Food Pantry, and would love to see you serve with us!
If you have an idea that you think is helpful, contact your local food pantry and see if there is a way you can help.
As we kick off Hunger Action Month look around your community — food insecurity is closer than you think.
Your actions can and will have a direct impact on your community, and we’re here to get you plugged in.
One person’s actions today can, and will, create a ripple of care that widens as it rolls out — we’d love for you to be part of that with us.
Lori Stoll is the Food Programs Coordinator at Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri. In her work in the Catholic Charities Food Pantry, Lori has managed the client-choice, grocery-model since its opening — providing care and creating hope for those who visit to shop on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Friday and Saturday mornings.
To learn more about Hunger Action Month, and how the Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri is participating to reduce food insecurity across mid-Missouri, visit sharefoodbringhope.org/action.
