Hunger Awareness Month rallies the community to fight hunger

What does real hunger look like? More than 70,000 of our Stark County neighbors struggle with food insecurity, but do we really see them?

Can we see if a senior is skipping medication to buy food? How does one tell if their children’s classmates are getting nutritious meals at home? In the grocery store, do we know if the person beside us in line must choose between paying for heat in their home or the food in their grocery cart? Thousands of our neighbors face empty refrigerators and cupboards in an unseen struggle to make ends meet and feed their families. This year we have seen a record number of our Stark County neighbors seek our services, as many more individuals and families find themselves suddenly out of work and struggling to put food on the table.

Stark County Hunger Task Force observes Hunger Awareness Month during November to raise awareness of local hunger and enlist public support in the battle against hunger through monetary or food donations or volunteering at one of the SCHTF network pantries. Through our network of more than 30 pantries throughout the county, every month over 31,000 receive free groceries to help them put food on the table when times are tough.

We invite you to join our fight against hunger in the following ways:

• Join us at the Bistro of Oakwood from 4pm-9pm on Monday, November 2^nd for a Dine to Donate event. 10% of the proceeds from dine in and carry out orders support our hunger fighting efforts.

• For the whole month of November Mata Mediterranean Grill will be donating $1 of every pita purchase to our agency.

• Wear orange, the color of Hunger Awareness, on Thursday, November 12^th, post a selfie and use the hashtags #wearorange #hungerfigher and #hungerawareness.

• Like our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and follow our Hunger Awareness Month updates. We will be posting content throughout the month, including the announcement of our yearly award recipients.

• Add our Hunger Fighter frame to your Facebook profile picture. This will be available the first week of November.

• Organize a food drive. Contact Stephanie at stephanie@starkhunger.org for more info.

• Volunteer in our emergency food pantry. Contact Steve at steve@starkhunger.org for to schedule a shift.

• Make a monetary donation! We can purchase up to seven pounds of food for each dollar donated. Donate online at starkhunger.org, text HUNGER2020 to 443-21, or send a check to P.O. Box 20941, Canton, OH 44701.