Burgessct - Hunger

OPINION: Hunger doubles down amidst COVID

My family and I sit in Washington State. We are in King County and near the city of Woodinville. There are numerous food banks in the state, county and city and like your own community, there is not a single entity that isn’t being oversubscribed and under provisioned. The Washington Food Fund tells us that “an estimated 1.6 million Washingtonians are at …

Burgessct - Blessing Box

Blessing Box: Addressing hunger in America

Take what you need, if you need, is the inspiration behind the “Blessing Box.” The idea is simple: people donate non-perishable, essential items, and place them inside the box so people in need can take what they need and leave what they can. Those who are creating and placing a Blessing Box in their neighborhoods, are examples of goodness in America. But …

Burgessct - Chef Bruno - Hunger

Pasta Power: Chef Bruno’s Caterina’s Club Feeds Children

As a philanthropist chef, Bruno Serato has given much to his community. Through his Caterina’s Club (named after his mother), whose mission is: “To provide every child the resources, love, and encouragement they need to be healthy, safe, and educated.” Caterina’s Club provides over 1800 children hot meals each week, via the 34 locations worldwide (and is accepting applications for …

Hunger Stops Here!

This weekend, one of the charitable groups which I actively and financially support, Northwest Harvest, teamed with King5 TV in a “Home Team Harvest” campaign to raise through donations of both food and money to provide for 3 million meals to those in need in Washington.

Necessity – Invest wisely on Black Friday

On this Black Friday, the Friday where we have 1 in 6 food-insecure, let us get our collective acts together and spend some of that Retail Therapy energy on hunger in America.

Hunger and Food Insecurity – August 2012

Of the 925 million in this world who live with food insecurity every day, 528 million of them live in the Asia and Pacific regions. Think about that number it is over 50% of those who deal with hunger on a daily basis. That is 339 million more than sub-Sahara Africa.

Hunger & food Insecurity in Asia & Pacific

I recently read a piece put out byUpali Wickramasinghe, the Regional Advisor on Poverty Reduction and Food Security (CAPSA-ESCAP) in which it was articulated of the 925 million in this world who live with food insecurity every day, 528 million of them live in the Asia and Pacific regions.  Think about that number it is over 50% of those who …

Hunger is just plain ugly

This week I viewed a video (see below) surrounding the famine in eastern Africa and the millions of souls who are literally starving before the worlds eyes, a midst the lawlessness of Somalia and environs. The world’s response as been tepid at best, and in my opinion disgraceful. Aid and sufficient military presence to protect those bringing the aid and those receiving the aid should be pouring into the environs, but instead we see donated supplies backing up at ports and depots and not moving to the areas of need. So what happens? Those who need the aid start migrating toward where they believe food and water are present. They journey for days and weeks often times leaving family members dead on the road toward relief. This needs to change.

National Hunger Awareness Day

National Hunger Awareness Day came and went on 7 June 2011. Reflect back, did you do anything different that day? Many didn’t, some did. Let me highlight the efforts of some who came to may attention:

Hunger – Their bowls are still empty

You can sit and watch the tragedy of hunger in the United States continue, or you can do something. I thank you for your action, your community thanks you for your action and those who will have a meal in their bowl and on their table due to your action thank you.

Hunger – Kind Acts

So often when we speak of hunger in the world, and specifically in the United States it occurs from a distance and in an impersonal manner, until it gets personal. Getting personal can occur when someone you know or someone you love finds themselves debating whether food is something which should be purchased today. Think about that for a minute. If you’ve never had such a thought, where will the food come for my or my family’s next meal, count yourself amongst the fortunate, but more than 50 million in the United States have such thoughts daily; more than 900,000,000 persons in this world we share have those thoughts daily. Please ask yourself, is it possible that the United States (the land of plenty) can have 1/20th of the world’s hungry within it’s population? Then, please ask yourself, what can I do.

Hunger: Together the US and Brazil can make a difference

Kudos to President Obama of the United States and President Dilma Vana Rousseff of Brazil for their discussion of jointly addressing global food security issues during President Obama’s recent visit to Brazil. As my readers know, I am a strong advocate of eradicating hunger in a world where abundance of food is a reality and the issues lay within the ability to distribute…

While lacking visibiilty into the discussions in Brazil which occurred, I am hopeful that President Rousseff highlighted the initiative of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, (her hometown) where the municipality has outlawed hunger, rendering it illegal – successfully (see my piece, Hunger Should be Illegal). This model needs to be replicated and replicated widely.

No Kid Hungry

…nearly 17 million children in America—that’s almost one in four—face hunger. And it’s likely that these children will endure lifelong consequences as a result of having limited access to nutritious foods. In fact, they’re more likely to suffer…

Goal Achieved

Hunger: To Give is Divine, Thank You for Giving

The 2010 Virtual Canned Food Drive was a success, raising approximately 150% of goal. I thank you for your kindness and generosity in helping address Hunger in America.

Let Us Give Thanks…

Let us give thanks 85 percent of the households in the United States are food secure Let us give thanks our family is not amongst the remaining 15 percent, which equates to more than 50+ million persons who are food insecure. Let us give thanks our children are not amongst the one in one in four in the United States …

The Connection: Hunger & Sex Trafficking of Children

Were you aware that hunger, food insecurity is one of the root causes of individuals finding themselves victimized by Human Traffickers?  You might be asking yourself how is this possible.  In urban and rural situations both within the United States and abroad the number of families living under the poverty level continue to increase.  In the United States this number is 14.3% …

Hunger: When crime raises its ugly head, others go hungry.

Yesterday I learned that the number of individuals in the United States who are eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (aka Food Stamps) assistance has grown by 14% and now has reached ~41 million persons, not surprising given ~43 million live at or below the poverty level and ~53 million live in a food insecure situations.  For those not familiar …

BackPack Programs

In the United States there are programs within the public school systems to assist children with reduced resources to be able to have a light meal cum snack before school and a reduced price lunch during school. When the child goes home, they eat what is placed on the table which if they are fortunate their parent/guardian will prepare, but as often as not, they themselves must prepare. What if there isn’t any food at home? The child goes hungry? Not if there is a Backpack Program.

Hunger: 1 in 6 Hunger; 1 in 7 Struggle

The United States census bureau recently released the statistics on poverty.  The numbers indicated 1 in 7 Americans are living below the poverty line. When you say it that way it doesn’t sound so bad does it, just 1 in 7.  Maybe when you say 15% of the US population sounds larger?  How about when when you sit down and figure out just …

Hunger: The World’s Largest Tragedy and Scandal

How long would it take you to count to 925 million aloud?  More than your lifetime.  Count to 60 for me.  In the time it took you to count to 60, ten children died due to undernourishment.  I’ve written that Hunger Should be Illegal and ask the question, how is it possible in 2010 that we continue to have food insecurity ( Food Insecurity …