The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank is joining forces with Feeding America, a nationwide network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, in an effort to raise awareness about hunger.

September has been designated as Hunger Action Month to inspire people to take action and raise awareness of the fact that 42 million Americans, including 13 million children, are food insecure, according to the USDA. In Northwest Arkansas, there are more than 70,000 who are food insecure.

“No single person or single agency can fight hunger alone,” said Mike Williams, director of development at the Food Bank. “We need everyone in the community to step up and play a role to help fight hunger in Northwest Arkansas. Hunger Action Month is an effort to inform our community about the issue of food insecurity and provide a simple way to get involved in the fight against hunger.”

This month the Food Bank are offering two simple ways to join the fight, Williams said. Individuals can dine out at one of the restaurants participating in the “Take a Bite Out of Hunger” campaign or Fill the Shelves Campaign, a one-day online fundraiser.

“We have one restaurant a day for almost every day in September where you can dine out and have a portion of the proceeds come back to the NWA Food Bank” he said. “We will use the funds to distribute food to more than 150 agencies in Northwest Arkansas who are serving those with food insecurities.

“Additionally, we are making it easy for donors to support their local pantry or feeding program on Sept. 29 where donors can designate their gift to their local pantry, Williams said. “One hundred percent of each gift will be set aside for the agency the donor chooses, and the agencies will use those funds to fill their shelves with food.”

September marks the 10th year the Feeding America network of food banks has organized this annual call to action. This year the campaign will focus on the strong connections between hunger and health.

“I’ve spent many days on the road this past year, visiting food banks, food pantries, and meal programs and meeting people who are facing hunger,” said Diana Aviv, CEO of Feeding America. “I’ve seen firsthand the anguish that food insecurity and hunger can cause. It is always heartbreaking to meet a mother or father who fears that they will not be able to feed their children. They know that their children cannot reach their full potential if they don’t have enough

“With the combined effort of Feeding America, the nationwide network of food banks and hunger advocates across the country, the goal of this campaign is to raise awareness about hunger and inspire Americans to get involved,” Aviv said. “The Feeding America network is leading the fight to end hunger in the U.S. We all have a role to play in getting food to our neighbors in need. Advocate. Educate. Volunteer. Donate.”

To learn more about the month’s activities go to the Food Bank’s website at https://www.nwafoodbank.org/ham.