Local Opportunities to Help Combat Food Insecurity
Mark and Lisa Hall
FeedingTeam.org Founders
Mark Hall also serves as Hamilton County Coucilor for District 3
Inside the vigor of our high quality of life in Hamilton County, resides the cold and often invisible truth of food challenged neighbors. Local not-for-profit, The Feeding Team (www.feedingteam.org), addresses this challenge directly with a common sense, anonymous, practical solution. The Feeding Team deploys outdoor food pantries that are modelled after the small book libraries that have gained popularity over the last two decades. These “Take What You Need, Give What You Can”, pantries, are no questions asked, always open and stocked with non-perishable meals. They serve as a complement to traditional food pantries, trustees and church food pantries.
Post pandemic survey data indicates that as many as 44,000 of our neighbor’s drift into and out of food insecurity. GAP families, as they are described, live all around us. These are families that live above the threshold for public assistance but beneath the threshold where a financial calamity doesn’t impact their ability to feed their family. Although used regularly by homeless and transient neighbors, the Feeding Team model is to provide a few meals for many people with a specific focus on GAP families, the elderly and veterans.
Funded by sponsorships, we have no paid employees, volunteers drive this mission every week. They build, paint and deliver pantries. They serve at fundraising events. They host and maintain the pantries. Volunteers stock, clean and sort items. They pick up, uncrate, mark out the UPC codes, and distribute meals through over 40 Hamilton County pantry locations.
FeedingAmerica.org has designated September as Hunger Action Month. Every action, big or small, is one step closer to Hamilton County realizing an end to hunger. When people are fed, futures are nourished. With that we are a better community. Let’s make every month Hunger Action Month here in Hamilton County.
This local effort gives each of us an opportunity to serve a neighbor. You can help make a difference by simply taking some extra cans from your cupboard and placing them in any pantry. You can host, adopt, or volunteer to manage a pantry. The Feeding Team has volunteer opportunities for as little as one hour a week. We all know someone who has struggled with food insecurity. Did you see them in the fight? Are you willing to help those that are in that fight today?
If you’d like to know more or be a part of the solution The Feeding Team wants to hear from you. Do you want to volunteer? Do you have a suggested pantry location? Call us at 317-832-1123 or email us at lisa@feedingteam.org.
