America’s hunger problem is about to get worse. Here’s how you can help.
Quick: Think about everything you’ve done today. Everything you plan to do tomorrow. Everything you’d like to achieve — from your education to your career to serving your community.
Now: Is there anything on that list you’d be able to accomplish if you went hungry?
Having enough food to eat is the fuel that makes everything else possible. Children can focus in school, and become tomorrow’s astronauts, artists, teachers, and engineers. Returning veterans can start new lives at home. People can go to work, start new businesses, take care of their families, and live with dignity.
Now that budget cuts for federal nutrition programs like Meals on Wheels are looming, it’s more important than ever to talk about why it matters to get enough to eat.
So, we’re starting by asking you to share food’s impact on your life: What does food fuel for you?
At musical artist Questlove’s latest food salon, he convened artists, advocates, and chefs to consider that question. Here’s what they had to say:
Food fuels the resistance
“Without the food to fuel your brainpower, you’re not going to be able to resist,” says Jarobi White, a musician and chef. Questlove talks about how the food you eat affects “your work day, your life, your school, your grades.”
“A human-created problem”
Food advocates Lori Silverbush and Tom Colicchio and humanitarian Zainab Salbi explain that the reason people go hungry in America isn’t limited resources — it’s lack of political will to solve the problem:
We can solve this
If we already have the resources we need, that means we can end hunger in America:
Add your voice
Spreading awareness about America’s silent hunger epidemic is the first step to addressing the issue. Help us spread the word by adding your own answer and filling in the blank: “Food fuels my _________.” Write your answer on a white paper plate, take a picture of yourself with it, and tag it with #FoodIsFuel.
Share your response by commenting below and on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
