From Food Bank For New York City/FoodChange

Every single person can do something to help end hunger in America. Whether you have one dollar to give or one hour to share, you can make an enormous difference in the lives of the 25 million hungry people all across America. There are many opportunities to get involved in America’s Second Harvest’s network of more than 200 member food banks and food-rescue organizations across the country.

For those of you who would like to support your local food bank, here are some of the ways you can help:

Donate Funds: The food banks across the country rely on individual, corporate and foundation support to fund their hunger-relief efforts. You can make a one time gift or a monthly gift. You can donate online by the click of your mouse! Become a corporate partner and choose to support your local food bank with an unrestricted grant which can be applied wherever the need is the greatest. Or earmark your grant for a specific food bank program.

Make a special gift…Donate in honor of someone special, celebrate a special occasion, or remember a lost loved one.

Match Employee Giving: Consider a matching gifts program. It’s a simple and easy way to fight hunger, promote philanthropy, and support your employees.

Sponsor or plan an event. Most food banks offer a variety of event sponsorship opportunities to corporations, small business, and individuals. Being a sponsor is about much more than writing checks. It is about building a relationship with your local food bank. It is about getting to know them, their mission, and supporting your community.

Donate Food: Whether you are interested in donating a truckload of fresh bananas, a pallet of close-to-code granola bars, or cases of toothpaste, your donation will be gratefully appreciated.

Hold a food drive...in your community, your school, at your place of worship. It’s a fun and easy way to support your local food bank or food-rescue organization. Food drives provide one-third of the food that is distributed annually. Or, plan a Virtual Food Drive. With the click of a mouse, a Virtual Food Drive allows a company or organization to get food to those who are facing hunger in their community. Holding an online food drive saves the Food Bank the time and resources involved in a physical food drive. Most importantly, your donation will help that food bank to purchase the most needed food items.

Volunteer: Ending hunger in America depends on the volunteer work of literally millions of Americans. Eighty-five percent of all emergency food programs rely on volunteers to remain open, so volunteers are an essential part of a food program’s ability to serve their community. There are as many different ways to volunteer as there are individuals and communities across this country.
You can help out in your local community through activities such as:
• tutoring kids at your local Kids Cafe
• repackaging donated food for use at food pantries
• transporting food to charitable agencies
• serving food at a soup kitchen
• clerical work and event support
It's simple. Get involved today, and get your family and friends involved.

Advocate: With more than 35 million Americans hungry or at risk of hunger each year, it is imperative for you to voice your support for combating hunger in America to your elected officials. Your elected officials look to you for guidance on what is important to your community. Your individual support can make a difference for millions of hungry Americans. We encourage you to contact your local, state, city and federal elected officials about legislation that will help hungry Americans.