According to Bread for the World’s hunger statistics, “35.5 million people—including 12.6 million children—live in households that experience hunger or the risk of hunger. This represents more than one in ten households in the United States.”
Hunger has long been a critical issue in our state and West Virginians have an opportunity to help fight the issue through a statewide canned food drive on September 11. September is Hunger Action Month, a nationwide effort to mobilize people to get involved in ending hunger in America.
As a result of the Serve America Act signed earlier this year by President Obama, September 11 is officially a National Day of Service and Remembrance as part of the new United We Serve initiative. The initiative encourages everyone throughout the nation to become civically engaged through volunteerism.
Businesses, individuals, and organizations in the mountain state are encouraged to organize food drives as part of the effort and deliver food to drop-off locations on September 11 as part of the new National Day of Service and Remembrance. Multiple sites, including Wal-Mart, Kroger, Weis Markets and AT&T stores, will serve as collection points. For a full list of drop-off locations, visit www.volunteerwv.org.
The West Virginia Business Volunteer Council, along with Huntington Area Food Bank and Mountaineer Food Bank, will collect the food and distribute it to needy families statewide. Volunteers can help their local food bank win a tractor-trailer of Kraft food by logging onto www.hungeractioncenter.org and registering the hours they volunteer in September during the drive.
For more information, contact Emily Schoen at (304) 558-0111, (800) WV-HELPS or emily.r.schoen@wv.gov, or visit www.volunteerwv.org.
The West Virginia Business Volunteer Council (BVC) is a statewide initiative open to all private sector businesses, labor organizations, nonprofit organizations, as well as business and professional associations. The BVC is the way for the private sector to join government and non-profits in building a better West Virginia through volunteer service. The BVC is a primary resource for encouraging, educating, and connecting businesses that support employee volunteer programs as a business strategy.