Did you know that September is Hunger Action Month? Hunger knows no boundaries, and during this month, folks nationwide work to take action against hunger. The thing about hunger is that it’s best when solved locally, but most of us don’t realize how much of an issue it really is. A local survey found that nearly 2/3 of Kansans and half of Missourians underestimate how severe hunger is in our community. And, most of us don’t understand that hunger issues can lead to long-term health issues.

Lucky for us, Harvester’s is in our community to help bridge the hunger gap in our community. They’ve come up with an awesome calendar of 31 ways you can help fight hunger this month! Hunger Action Day is this Thursday, September 14th! I picked my five favorite ways to help end hunger in our communities and wanted to share them with to provide inspiration for how you can help. 

#1- Give Money

My Dad always told me that you can give you money, your time, or your skills. And that at different times in life, you’ll be able to give different things, and that’s okay. I have to be honest that at this point, it’s easiest for me to give money than to give time. Between work, the blog and family commitments, I’m pretty well booked most weeks. So, this is my choice way to help! Plus, $1 feeds three people when you give to Harvesters. Click here to give to Harvesters!

#2- Recruit Friends and Family to Help Out

You don’t have to volunteer solo! Instead of hitting the bar, or the zoo with family, consider scheduling a volunteer shift with friends or family! It’s fun. I actually LOVE packing and sorting donated goods. Did you know that if you donate your birthday to Harvester’s, they’ll host you and your friends for a volunteer shift, and provide your birthday cake? Talk your manager into letting your team volunteer for an afternoon or to take the “Lunch Challenge” for a great team-building activity. Or, sign up with your kiddos for one of the upcoming Family Nights.

#3- Buy Tickets to Fed Up Fest!

Love The Strumbella’s? Yeah, me too. Harvester’s is hosting Fed Up Fest on October 14th, and The Strumbella’s are headlining! Each year, this fest keeps getting better! They have national music acts, food trucks, games, and awesome pop-up food and beverage tastings! All happening at one of my favorite Kansas City venues, Crossroads!  And, stay tuned to my Instagram page, where I’ll be giving away two tickets to Fed Up Fest soon! 

#4- Give Food

I remember going to Aldi growing up and getting cardboard trays full of canned goods. We’d load our trunk, and then drop it off at our local food pantry. Donating food is a simple way to help. You’re already going to the grocery store, right? Just grab a few non-perishables, and drop them in the donation bins in the front entrances of most Price Chopper stores here in Kansas City. For quick reference, here’s a quick list of the items that are most needed.  I grab extra peanut butter jars when they’re on sale and just pop them in the donation bin on my way out! You can also donate produce from your garden! Learn more about giving food here.

#5- Become a Harvester’s Ambassador

Do you have a voice? A lot of followers on Instagram, or Snapchat? Well, put that to good use by committing to speak about Harvester’s mission to your followers. Hunger affects almost 1 in 7 folks in the Kansas City area (including over 100,000 children) and trust me, your voice matters! Even if you’re not a social media maven, you can help in a major way. Harvester’s needs ambassadors who are comfortable talking to groups, leading tours and leading activities as well! You can learn more about being a Harvester’s Ambassador here.

I hope that you’ll join me in committing to help in the way you best can. I’d love to hear from you as to how you’re helping alleviate hunger in your community. If we all band together, we can make hunger a thing of the past in our communities.

I absolutely LOVE sharing about Harvesters and their good work. You can find some of my previous posts I’ve done on their behalf here, here and here,