Hunger Action Month raises awareness about hunger in community

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - September is Hunger Action Month, a time to raise awareness about and its presence in the community.

“Hunger is here and you know, I think a lot of times it’s hidden,” Susie Haugley, the Communication Manager for Feed My People said. “You might not know that your neighbor or your coworker or someone around you is experiencing hunger and so just by being able to talk about it and take that stigma away from it.”

Not only is hunger something people are experiencing, but those providing assistance said the demand is growing.

“There’s definitely a high need in our area and we serve West Central Wisconsin,” Haugley said. “So, that’s 14 different counties that we’re serving. But, we see a high number of families and individuals coming through our pop-up lines every week.”

“We saw a huge rise this summer, there were several days out of the week where we were doing anywhere from 100-125 people a day, TJ Atkins, the executive director of the Community Table said. “You know, families can balance a little bit with their kids going to school, but that number is still pretty high. We’re doing anywhere between 95-100 still.”

Throughout the month, organizations like Feed My People and the Community Table are raising awareness while also hoping to inspire others to take action.

“When we don’t have enough volunteers, we run the risk of having to tell people that we can’t have a meal that day,” Atkins said. “I don’t know if you’ve ever had to do that to a family or to a kid but it’s not fun and I never want to have to do that. So, we want to make sure that we can provide that service.”

“Hunger Action Month is all about just realizing that hunger is here in our community and even this year, somebody who doesn’t think you can make a difference, you really can,” Haugley said. “It’s the small actions that really add up together.”

If you are interested in donating or volunteering at Feed My People, information can be found on its website.

If you are interested in donating or volunteering at The Community Table, information can be found on its website.

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