DONATE YOUR TIME, FOOD OR MONEY
Every month thousands of individuals in your community turn to food pantries and soup kitchens for help. These programs need volunteers to help collect, prepare or distribute food. Money is also needed to pay for rent, utilities, transportation, food and staff. To find an emergency food program in your area, call Hunger Action or in New York City, clink the following link: http://www.foodbanknyc.org/go/agency-network/agency-directory/index.htm

EDUCATE OTHERS ABOUT HUNGER
Unlike homelessness, hunger is often described as an invisible problem. Yet over 900,000 New Yorkers rely upon emergency food programs each week. If more people were aware of the extent and severity of hunger in their community—and the underlying causes—more would be done to solve the problem. Hunger awareness-raising events you can participate in include our annual Hunger Awareness Day that takes place on the third Thursday in March and our annual Thanksgiving Action Against Hunger that takes place on the third Monday in November.

CALL OR WRITE TO YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS
Politicians need to know that local voters are concerned about the problem of hunger. They particularly need to hear there is public support for making the welfare systems more supportive of low-income individuals, (e.g., providing access to education and job training and child care). The best letters are often the shortest and may be handwritten. Be as specific as possible in what you want the official to do and request a commitment in response. The Governor’s contact information is: Executive Chamber, State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224, (518) 474-8390, Fax (518) 486-4466. The Senate’s address is LOB, Albany, NY 12247 and Senate Majority Leader, Joseph Bruno, can be reached at (518) 455-3191, Fax (518) 455-2448. The Assembly’s address is LOB, Albany, NY 12248 and the Assembly Speaker, Sheldon Silver, can be reached at (518) 455-3791, Fax (518) 455-5459. If you do not know who your State Legislator is, click the following link: www.vote-smart.org

GROW AN EXTRA ROW
If you have a backyard garden or your participate in a community garden, consider planting some extra seeds and plants and donate the produce to a local emergency food program.

ORGANIZE, ADVOCATE, VOTE
Unlike most under-developed countries, hunger in the U.S. is primarily a political and economic problem. We have enough food to feed everyone. Anti-hunger advocacy organizations are needed in every community to convince local, state and federal officials to commit the resources needed to feed everyone. At the state level, we need to support families to become economically secure by providing a real safety net that enables New Yorkers to meet their most basic needs. Opportunities to learn, develop skills, and expand employment options must also be made available for all. Measures to ensure the availability of jobs that pay a living wage are also critical. Additionally, policies and programs must be created in transportation and child care—without which, the necessary education and training efforts cannot be meaningfully pursued. At the federal level, we need to strengthen and improve the Child Nutrition Programs (the School Breakfast Program, the National School Lunch Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the Child and Adult Care Food Program). We also need to maintain an adequate welfare safety net that supports families to obtain jobs with family-sustaining wages and to provide for those not able to work.

Other Ways you can support Hunger Action Network