Texarkana residents, and people across the country who are also working to end hunger, will wear orange September 4 in an effort to raise awareness of the 50 million people in the United States who face hunger on a daily basis. It’s just one of the many events that will take place throughout the month of September in recognition of Hunger Action Month – Feeding America.
It’s a month-long campaign to help end hunger in our country and our community. http://hungeractionmonth.org/
According to Camille Parker, Executive Director of Harvest Texarkana Regional Food Bank, more than 50,000 people struggle with hunger right here in the Texarkana area.
“Hunger doesn’t have a season, but for the month of September, we want to raise as much awareness as possible about the issue, especially in our own community. One in six adults and one in four children deal with a lack of food. These are the people we live and work with every day,” Parker said.
Asked what the food bank needs the most, Parker said they are happy to receive donations of all non-perishable food items as well as monetary gifts.
“Each dollar donated allows Harvest Texarkana to purchase seven pounds of food for the community. While all food donations are appreciated, the following is a list of items most requested by our local pantries and clients,” she said.
- Peanut butter
- Pasta
- Soups
- Pasta meals (Hamburger Helper, etc.)
- Canned meats
- Canned vegetables
Beginning Monday, September 1, Harvest Texarkana and other food banks in the Feeding America network, will host events throughout the month to inspire people to take action to help the millions of people who are food insecure in the United States. These events are part of Harvest Texarkana’s “30 Ways in 30 Days Campaign,” identifying simple ways the public can pitch in toward the effort to eliminate hunger in our region.
Harvest Texarkana will kick off national Hunger Action Month on Thursday, September 4 with its annual noon luncheon at Williams Memorial United Methodist Church. The luncheon will feature guest speaker Ark. State Senator Bruce Maloch. Tickets for the luncheon are $10 and reservations may be made by calling 870-774-1398. Carry out lunches may also be ordered in advance.
Texas Roadhouse, Orange Leaf Frozen Yogurt, Taste and See Candies, Anderson Orthodontics, First United Methodist Church, Fairfield Inn, and Buffalo Wild Wings will each hold special promotions to benefit Harvest Texarkana. Several volunteer events also are scheduled for the month, and Hunger Action Month T-shirts may be ordered from Harvest Texarkana for $10.
Formed in 1989 as a food rescue organization, Harvest Texarkana has grown to a full service food bank distribution center providing nearly 2.5 million pounds of food in 2011 to over 100 partner hunger relief agencies. Harvest Texarkana continues to serve as a food rescue operation, collecting excess prepared foods for local shelters and soup kitchens.
Harvest Texarkana also operates a backpack program serving 18 campuses in eight school districts as well as providing resources to agencies to operate backpack programs in the districts outside Texarkana.
More information may be found at http://harvesttexarkana.org.
