feeding the hungry

Recently we took a school field trip to the Second Harvest Food Bank in Orange County, California. It was an eye-opening experience for the kids to see the amount of food donated and the number of volunteers who were lending a helping hand. The huge house-sized freezers and the gigantic warehouse with flats of food were fun to observe. All the kids had a great time learning together.

At the end of our field trip, the tour guide (for lack of knowing her title) communicated a personal story of helping someone in need. Some time ago, she noticed a woman who seemed like she was confused and lost. Because our tour guide had once experienced assistance from the food bank at one point in her life, she was able to relay that message of hope to the woman she just met. Over the course of time, the helpless woman was back on her feet after the care and nurturing instigated by our tour guide at the Second Harvest Food Bank. It was a real story of one person helping another to help themselves.

There are many ways you can help. The idea is to do what you can. We learned that a $1 donation can go a long way. By giving a $1, because of the bulk purchasing power of the Second Harvest Food Bank, you can effectively provide $12 worth of food for the bank. But there are many other ways you can help.

Here are some facts about feeding the hungry in Orange County, one of the world's most affluent places. Right now, many families need to choose between buying enough groceries for the month and paying the rent or mortgage. 

• Over 456,000 people are at-risk of going hungry sometime every month.
  
• For 6 cents, the food bank can feed a family of four.
  
• The food bank feeds 80,000 children every month.
  

Every time you are given an opportunity to clean out your cupboards and give away food, please do. Let's help end the hunger in Orange County...and continue Feeding America.