Get Out And Help Your Community On World Food Day
In 2013, there were an estimated 842 million hungry people on the planet, according to worldfooddayusa.org. The number of people in the world suffering from chronic hunger is roughly one in eight. Hunger has been a world-wide problem for decades, and it still continues, but organizations like the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations hope to eradicate the problem. One such effort was the establishment of World Food Day in 1981. World Food Day, observed on Oct. 16, is an effort to bring individuals, community groups and leaders together in educating others and working on ways to end hunger. Even if you’re not part of a community group that will be doing something special on World Food Day, there are many things you can do on your own or with your family to help strengthen your community and bring more awareness to world hunger.
Teach Kids About Sustainability Today
One of the many aspects of World Food Day is raising awareness about sustainability and helping to promote or create programs that lead to a more sustainable future. When talking about food, sustainability relates to food systems. A food system includes every process from planting (or raising) food to its consumption. The goal of a sustainable food system is to “produce nutritious diets for all people today and protect the capacity for future generations to feed themselves,” according to worldfooddayusa.org. A great way to get kids involved in sustainability at home could be to teach them about food waste by going over this infographic or by getting them involved in a gardening project.
Start A Garden
If you have kids, a fun World Food Day activity might be to get them involved in something hands-on. Gardening is a great way to fill your house with fresh produce while cutting your grocery bills and reducing your carbon footprint. Just remember that some produce can travel up to 1,500 miles to reach your grocery store! Growing foods at home will decrease your need for such foods, thereby helping to reduce your footprint.
Gardening can be especially rewarding and fun for kids when they get to harvest the fruits and vegetables they helped grow. You don’t even need a lawn to start a garden! It’s easy to start a garden in plant pots. If you’re planning a garden for next spring, you can get an early start this fall by starting seeds or seedlings indoors. If you’re not sure what or how to plant yet, you can spend the fall and winter learning about gardening and planning your own. Depending on the climate in your area, it may be the right time of year to start some winter crops. Simply do a little research to see what plants will thrive in your area.
If you’re not ready to tackle a garden of your own, many cities have community gardens that everyone can get involved with.
Give Back To Your Community With Produce Or Your Time
Many food pantries are lacking in fresh produce, while many gardeners have an abundance of it. If you are an avid gardener and find that you have too much produce, consider giving it to your local food pantry or checking out the organization Ample Harvest. This organization connects backyard gardeners to local pantries that would love to have their excess produce.
World Food Day is also a great time to volunteer your time to help stop hunger or to host an event that aims to help end hunger. The World Food Day website has many suggestions for ways to put your ideas into action here. Some of their ideas include hosting a World Food Day meal, raising awareness on your campus, or arranging a food drive.
Give Back To Your Community Through Car Donation
World Food Day is a great time to get kids involved in sustainable gardening, community outreach, advocating to end hunger, and just giving back to the community in general.
Here at Wheels For Wishes we support Make-A-Wish through our car donation program. Make-A-Wish grants the wishes of children ages 2 ½ - 18 who have critical illnesses. And you can help your local chapter of Make-A-Wish just by donating an unwanted vehicle to Wheels For Wishes. Donating is a great way to give back to your community, and World Food Day – a day that’s all about local and global communities – is a great day to do it! All you need to do is call 1-855-278-9474 or fill out an online donation form to get started. It’s as easy as that!
