Sometimes, when paying attention to the ‘commemorative days’ in the calendar, we come across a very good idea arising at exactly the right time! On September 6th, this Friday, we are reminded to put Food on the Food Bank Shelves. Why now? The holidays are coming!!
As we enter September, we begin to think about the upcoming holiday season. Our holidays are times when food must be on everyone’s table. We want everyone to be well fed at all times of course, but our hearts go out to respond to needs even more during the holidays.
National Food Bank Day
According to Google, the 6th of September is National Food Bank Day. “National Food Bank Day on the first Friday in September encourages you to commit to contributing to the cause that believes no one should go to bed hungry.”
We certainly share in that belief, and we’re confident that the AMS Activities Committee is gearing up for our annual food bank drives, benefitting the communities in which we exist. AMS has supported local food banks for years, even delivering meals to families on Thanksgiving. Readers can expect a report on our food bank drives in the weeks to come, with appreciation for the hard-working and dedicated volunteers in our Activities Committee!!
At National Today [LINK] we read the following: “Hunger is a continuing problem in our global community and National Food Bank Day is a reminder to others that no one should go to bed hungry. Food banks provide food to the poor with the help of volunteers and social workers. They also promote tools for self-sufficiency. This day is to honor those workers, volunteers, and food bank charities who work in this regard.”
History of the Commemoration
The following history is from National Today: “St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance is a nonprofit, nonsectarian organization that was founded by John van Hengel in 1967. Van Hegel was looking for a way to prevent the wastage of groceries and eventually came up with the idea of redistributing any food that was not eaten to the hungry. St Mary’s was the first organization to operate using the food bank model. It is considered the first food bank, making St. Mary’s a pioneer in the food banking system. The organization has been successfully alleviating hunger for almost 50 years. This idea of food banks spread and many other food banks were created across the country.”
Mr. Van Hengel went on to found other food banks. Readers may be familiar with the organization, Feeding America, which is one of his creations. “He also founded the Global Food Banking Network and has since been known as “the father of food banking.” National Food Bank Day was selected on behalf of Van Hengel to commemorate his extraordinary works.”
The International Effort Against Hunger
While we are thinking about the holidays and hunger, and making our plans to help however we can, let’s take a look at what the UN is doing and encouraging, and the role of food banks in their effort:
“In September 2000, world leaders established Millennium Development Goals and they signed a commitment to achieve them by 2015. The first goal was to end extreme poverty and hunger. They also specified three targets: The first was to halve the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015. The second was to decrease the likelihood of a child dying before age five due to hunger and finally the third was to reduce the rate of extreme poverty. About 40 countries have already achieved the first target and extreme poverty rates have been cut in half since 1990. Food banks are a key component in the realization of these goals. In the U.S. alone, about 42 million people struggle with food insecurity and food banks are helping these people.”
Do’s and Don’ts of Donating
Common sense tells us to donate food that can be safely stored for a month or more, so of course we do not donate foods that need to be refrigerated or frozen. Around the holidays it is recommended to contact the food bank to see if you can donate frozen or refrigerated food for that special holiday meal.
Feeding America provides a guide on what to and what not to donate, which is linked [HERE]. We’ll offer a small bit of info, and we recommend visiting the web page and reading the full article:
“The number one rule to remember is this: if your donation is perishable, i.e., it’s something with a limited shelf life if not refrigerated, food banks won’t accept it.” The article goes on to say, “While an individual can’t donate a bunch of bananas or a frozen turkey, many food banks do work directly with farmers, retailers, restaurants, and other companies to source these perishable foods for donation. And, Feeding America helps ensure its network has access to these healthy foods year-round.”
We will keep readers updated on AMS’ food bank drives. If readers wish to make a personal donation, we recommend a quick search for a ‘food bank near me’ and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. There is nothing more rewarding than giving of what you have to feed a hungry family.
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AMS Fulfillment is a Certified B Corporation, dedicated to People and Planet before Profit. We work to B the Change we wish to see in the world.
