If you’ve bought even one food item in the last few months, you know that prices on everything have gone up. The higher cost of food is hitting everyone, including those who were doing OK just a while ago.

That makes Hunger Action Month 2022 even more important. As a charity focused on eliminating childhood hunger on Long Island, we know how overwhelming it can feel. When this happens, it’s nice to have something real we can do about hunger right where we live.

Below, we’re sharing ways you can take action this month. Please feel free to write about your experiences and tag us! Our Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/agapemealsforkids and we’re always happy to receive tags and follows!

1. Give a cash donation

We put this first because it’s the fastest way to make a difference. Agape Meals for Kids fills up to 250 backpacks every week. That’s a lot of food! And we never send out a ½ full backpack. Any items that we don’t receive through donations, we need to purchase directly.

You can donate using the following donation link.

2. Hold a fundraiser

It’s always fun to hear about the creative ways people fundraise! And because we’re a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, it’s a little easier for businesses and organizations to fundraise for us.

We can provide flyers and information for your fundraiser.

3. Host a food drive

What do a bus driver, a hair salon owner, and an Eagle Scout have in common? They’ve all held food drives for Agape Meals for Kids! We are in constant need of non-perishable food, and every donation goes right into a backpack for a child on Long Island.

We have a list of the top items we need that you’re welcome to hand out for your food drive. But as long as it’s non-perishable, not expired, and appropriate for adding to a backpack, we can use it!

4. Watch a documentary

Wait, what? Yes! Well, it’s more about the type of show you’re watching. There are some great shorts and documentaries about food, hunger, and poverty that help us all better understand how we can make things better.

There’s a really nice list here. Two we like are How to feed the world? (free to watch, and gives a youth-friendly overview of the global food system) and A Place at the Table (Available through Amazon).

5. Talk with friends and family

Hunger and food insecurity are very real problems right here in our neighborhoods. Just on Long Island, there are 70,000 children living with food insecurity. And if these children aren’t receiving a backpack of food on Friday, they are going up to 72 hours without a meal. (That’s the time between their last school meal on Friday and their first on Monday—if they qualify for free school meals.)

But it’s not like kids are walking around telling everyone they’re hungry! We need to be their voices; we need to raise awareness and then take action.

Will you join us? Every backpack we fill changes a child’s life. They get a break from worrying about food, they can look forward to their weekend, and often they know they’re bringing home some food for their family, too. Plus, there are the substantial health and learning benefits children experience when they’re not living in hunger.