Let's Get Hunger Under Control

We are fortunate to be working with one of Ohio's most respected non-profits - Mid-Ohio Foodbank. Its been a humbling experience thus far, as we have done a lot of research on the issue of hunger in Ohio and across our country. So please read about hunger, particularly how it affects children (below) and help the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, or the foodbank in your community, to get hunger under control in our state.

Someone You Know is Experiencing Food Insecurity


Food insecurity is essentially the politically correct way to describe hunger. The USDA defines food insecurity as follows:

“Limited or uncertain access to nutritious, safe foods necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle; households that experience food insecurity have reduced quality or variety of meals and may have irregular food intake.”

In Ohio, one of six people is at risk of hunger. This is a staggering statistic. It means someone in your neighborhood is suffering from hunger - a child in your kid’s class, a co-worker, a family at your church, a kid on your soccer team, the family down the street. It’s such a private problem for the ones suffering – who wants to publicly admit to needing help with providing food to your family? But it’s such a profound problem in our society, one that we all need to take responsibility for by helping our neighbors.

Children Who Are Hungry
As shocking as the hunger statistic is for Ohio, the number of children who are facing food insecurity is even more troubling. More than one in five children in the U.S. is at risk of hunger according to Feeding America. 1 in 5!

Children experiencing food insecurity also experience a multitude of other issues.

• Problems in Learning
  Lower math achievement and other achievement gains in kindergarteners
  Lower math and reading gains from kindergarten to third grade
  Lower arithmetic scores
  
  
• Problems with Health
  Poorer overall health of children – more stomach aches, headaches, and colds among children
  Higher numbers of chronic health conditions in children
  Higher hospitalization rates of young children
  Lower physical function in children ages 3 to 8
  Iron deficiency anemia in young children

• Problems with Social Skills
  Children aren’t as social if they’re hungry
  More anxiety and depression in school‐age children

We need to do better for our children! Kids should not suffer from hunger.

How You and Your Foodbanks Help

There are twelve (12) major Feeding America food banks in Ohio. These food banks act as distributors of food to thousands of food agencies across our state – pantries, soup kitchens, other feeding sites, etc. The food banks are able to provide services due to the generosity of the food industry, federal & state governments and the general community (both businesses and individuals). The Mid-Ohio Foodbank distributes food to over 500 agencies throughout Central and Eastern Ohio. They are able to provide 51,000 meals each day through their partner agencies.

But generosity is the operative word…we simply cannot make the kind of impact necessary without the help of people within the community. So please show your support by visiting www.1of6.org to make a donation to Mid-Ohio Foodbank’s Operation Feed campaign. If you don’t live in the Central or Eastern Ohio areas, visit www.FeedingAmerica.org and click on “Find a Food Bank” to find the organization that services your area.

It’s time we got hunger under control.