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United Way Blog

4 Ways to Fight Summer Hunger in Your Neighborhood

Hunger is an issue that affects more than 16 million children daily. Helping every one of those children may seem like an unattainable goal, but there are ways you can make a difference. Here are a few ways you can make an impact.

Volunteer at a Food Pantry

Getting involved at your local food pantry or soup kitchen is a great way to give back to needy families and hungry children. You can help with various aspects of a food pantry or soup kitchen, such as:

  • Cooking food
  • Serving meals
  • Kitchen and dining room cleanup
  • Cost analysis and budget
  • Customer service
  • Assist with keeping the program running smoothly

You can also speak to leaders in the community about donations, and raise awareness in schools and churches about upcoming free meal and food service events. If you're good with budgeting and cost analysis, focus on where the donations are the weakest. Your local United Way will put you in touch with food banks they work with so you can volunteer your time efficiently

Participate in a Food Drive

Being able to help hungry children through a food drive helps the child at home and at school. If your food drive is geared toward children, be sure to request healthy food donations from the main food groups: dairy, grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. A food drive allows your organization or business to really make a difference in the community. As you spearhead a food drive and collect donations, talk to friends and coworkers about them donating their time to help needy individuals in the community. Spreading the word about volunteering through United Way helps make each task smaller.

Photo Credit: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas

Volunteer with Applications

If you are bilingual, you can lend a hand through your local United Way volunteer office. Many individuals with children in the home have trouble understanding English or filling out complex food assistance applications. Make a difference by volunteering your time to make sure individuals understand the food assistance application, and know how and when to access food once it becomes available.

Support Silence the Growl

In Atlanta and Dallas, great efforts are being made to make sure that thousands of kids don't go hungry this summer. It can start with a donation of as little as $5 to help children particularly from low-income families to get the nutritious food they need, so they can focus on having a great summer full of learning and don't fall behind their peers.