This September the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, together with the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks, will engage and mobilize local communities across the country in an effort to bring an end to hunger. Hunger Action Month is designed to inspire people to take action and raise awareness of the fact that 48 million Americans, including 15 million
children, are food insecure, according to the USDA.
In Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia, more than 153,880 people struggle with hunger and may not know where they’ll find their next meal. That number includes one in four kids who may not have enough to eat. September marks the ninth year the Feeding America network of food banks has organized this annual call to action and the Chattanooga Area Food Bank is once again participating in the Hunger Action Month movement. This year the campaign will focus on the strong connections between hunger and health.
The Hunger Action Month 2016 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.
“At the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, our mission is to not only eliminate hunger, but also to promote good nutrition. We work to ensure that the people we serve have access to enough healthy food so that they can reach their full potential; especially children, who cannot grow, succeed or learn on an empty stomach” said Chattanooga Area Food Bank President and CEO Gina Crumbliss.
According to the Feeding America study, Hunger in America 2014, nearly half of households served by the Feeding America network include someone that is in either fair or poor health.
“I’ve spent many days on the road this past year, visiting food banks, food pantries, and meal programs and meeting people who are facing hunger,” said Diana Aviv, CEO of Feeding America. “I’ve seen firsthand the anguish that food insecurity and hunger can cause. It is always heartbreaking to meet a mother or father who fears that they will not be able to feed their children. They know that their children cannot reach their full potential if they don’t have enough to eat.”
Hunger Action Day, the second Thursday in September, is a day where efforts across the country are focused for greater impact.
This year, on Sept. 8, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank 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 social media with #HungerActionMonth, @chattfoodbank and @FeedingAmerica to join the conversation.
In Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank has many activities planned to engage the community in hunger relief and awareness building, including:
• Saturday, Sept. 3 - Milk Donation Event -
Give a gallon of nutrient-rich milk to hungry families living in the Southeast Tennessee and
Northwest Georgia region. Visit the Gunbarrel Road Walmart Supercenter between the hours of
noon-5 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 8 - Hunger Action Day
Throughout the country, people will wear orange to build awareness about hunger.
• Thursday, Sept. 8 - United Way Day of Caring
Over 50 community members will volunteer at the Food Bank Chattanooga warehouse on behalf
of United Way.
• Monday, Sept. 12 - Firefighter Food Drive Kickoff
Donate nonperishable food and support the Food Bank's Emergency Food Box Program. Visit
the Food City on East Brainerd between the hours of 6 a.m.-6 p.m.
• All September – Firefighter Food Drive
Continue to support the Firefighter Food Drive by donating food at any area fire station
throughout the month of September.
• All September - Circle K and Kangaroo Express Milk Donation Campaign
Visit any area Circle K or Kangaroo Express convenience store and donate at the register.
Donations collected at local stores are distributed as free milk vouchers to the Food Bank,
matched by zip code.
To learn more about the Chattanooga Area Food Bank and other ways you can get involved for Hunger Action Month in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia, visit
ChattFoodBank.org/pages/2016HAM or HungerActionMonth.org.