Hey guys! I want to take a few minutes this Friday afternoon to share with you an organization that I’ve become more involved with lately. That organization is Feeding America. I first found out about Feeding America back in 2014 when I was doing the SNAP Challenge, and the more I learned about what this organization does, the more I realized that they are working towards the same goals as I am here at Budget Bytes. This amazing organization works to end hunger in America, reduce food waste (on both a commercial and consumer level), and eliminate stigmas surrounding food insecurity. So, now that I’ve achieved a little bit of security in my life, I want to use my resources to give back to those who are still struggling.
Why Feeding America?
When I did the SNAP challenge back in 2014 it was an eye opening experience. To make a long story short, it helped me realize how even a small amount of hunger can have a major impact on every aspect of your life. After reading the comments from the Budget Bytes community about their experiences with hunger, it was even more evident how hunger can strike anyone at any time, is often unexpected, and it knows no stereotypes. With a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries, Feeding America works to fight hunger in communities across America.
We work to get nourishing food – from farmers, manufacturers, and retailers – to people in need. At the same time, we also seek to help the people we serve build a path to a brighter, food-secure future.
I’m so impressed with the multi-faceted approach that Feeding America takes to reduce food waste, while putting nutritious meals on the table for millions of Americans. They do far more than I could ever outline here, so I encourage you to read more about the wide scope of work that Feeding America accomplishes here.
Getting Involved
While Feeding America has been on my roster of charities for a while, I wanted to do more. You’ll probably see me sharing statistics and personal stories from people impacted by hunger on social media, but be sure to follow Feeding America for even more hunger related headlines and heart-warming stories (follow Feeding America on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). Feeding America also has a great blog, where I’ll be occasionally contributing (read my first article about The Most Nutritious Foods for Your Money). ;)
Budget Bytes Community Drive
Since we have such a large and supportive group of readers here at Budget Bytes, I wanted to create a place where we as a group can get involved. I’ve created a fundraiser through Feeding America’s Set the Table program where we, as a group, can raise funds to help our fellow community members. Every dollar donated is equal to 11 meals on the table, so any amount that you can give makes a BIG difference! I’m so excited to see how much of an impact we can make as a group. I’ll be sharing the fundraiser’s progress on social media, but you can always go back to the Budget Bytes Community Drive Page to check out how much of an impact we’re making.
While I did set a “goal” dollar amount for this drive, I plan to keep it open and running indefinitely. If we smash through that goal, we’ll just keep going! There’s no stopping the impact that we can make as a group. :)
Volunteer – Even if you don’t have any dollars to give, you can still make a difference! Volunteer work is a crucial piece of the puzzle. Volunteering offers the added benefit of helping you connect on a personal level with people in your community—something that is becoming more and more difficult to do in our digital society. To explore more ways that you can get involved and take action in your community, click here.
Thank you for letting me share this with you today! I hope I’ve inspired you to learn more about food insecurity and perhaps how you can get involved and give back. The Feeding America website has oodles of information, so I encourage you to go have a look around! And while you’re at it, stop by the Budget Bytes Community Drive page. :)
Need Assistance? If you or anyone you knows needs assistance, Feeding America provides a fast, easy way to find your local food bank. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask for help. We’re here for you.
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I’ve followed your blog for almost three years now for your awesome recipes, your budget minded attitude and I enjoyed the SNAP Challenge. Unfortunately, some of the comments that people made regarding the SNAP challenge was beyond judge mental and insulting, since they don’t understand the feeling of struggling to place food on the table on a daily basis. It feels good to know that I can either donate some money or volunteer. :-)
Some people will never understand, unfortunately. But that doesn’t stop me from trying to reach as many people as possible. :) Thank you for your support, LaTrice!!
Beth, thank you for this. I appreciate you using your popularity and knowledge to help those in need. Your generosity and advocacy makes it even easier for me to recommend this site to other people!
Thank you! :)
I’ve been giving produce from my gardens and eggs from my turkeys to two local food banks for about a decade. I’ve also helped a number of their clients start gardens to grow some of their own food and I give them a lot of seedlings every spring. In the fall I teach workshops on food preservation so people can use their bounty through the year and/or take advantage of seasonal roadside farm stands. I’m sure Feeding America is a fine organization but they aren’t affiliated with any food banks in my area.
Thank you SO MUCH for giving so much of your time and knowledge to your community! You are an inspiration. :)
Thank you so much for sharing about this organization!
The library in our town has a bin where people can donate food to the local food bank. It makes it easy for people to donate. Also, during the summer our county picks up donations for the food bank when they pick up the recycling.
That’s awesome! It sounds like you live in an amazing community! :)
I already donate a small amount to them monthly, great organization! You can also ,walk, bike, run to donate to feeding America with the Charity Miles app.
Thanks for that tip! I’m going to go download it now!!
I have followed this blog for years for your great recipes, your budget-minded attitude, and I LOVED the SNAP challenges. It made me think a lot about how carefully I spend my grocery money. I think this new development with Feeding America is fantastic. Well done.
This is fantastic! I’ve recommended your blog to so many people precisely b/c of your SNAP challenge – really wonderful way to show how something as simple as a meal is so connected to the various factors pressing on people’s lives.
I love that you’re doing this, and am donating right now! :)