#thegivingtable

Such a question cannot become fathomable until one eventually shifts perspectives and views the term "hunger" in a new light. 

Today hosts the virtual event Food Bloggers Against Hunger which was initiated by The Giving Table, an organization that encourages and empowers individuals to "do good with food" and make a difference by living more generous lives in regards to ending hunger. I am among the 200 other food bloggers who are sharing posts today about ending hunger to help start a revolution - to raise awareness and issue a very important call to action, which will be released at the end of this post. But first, I'd like to call attention back to the title:

What would you do if you were hungry? 

At first, you might not know how to answer that question. But if you take the time to think about how often we take for granted having fully-stocked refrigerators and cabinets at home or even a meal plan at college that allows for an ample number of meals per week (such as my current situation as a college student), you might be able to put yourself in the shoes of another individual that may not be granted access to such privileges with ease. It seems so easy to write off the situation with solutions like qualifying for food stamps or receiving amounts of food from a local food bank, but there's much more to it.

During my senior year of high school, I volunteered at The Greater Boston Food Bank with a number of my peers. There, we worked the conveyor belts where we sorted out all of the different types of food that came by: ramen noodles, canned goods, candy bars, etc. We were given the chance to first-handedly witness the types of food that were to be dispersed to families and individuals in need.

                (My friends and I working the conveyor belt. I'm on the far right in the gray sweatshirt.)

Despite the generosity of those who donated all of the food, not all of it was necessarily healthy. 

Families and individuals who express the need for assistance in acquiring nourishment in order to sustain themselves face a very limited and problematic situation. Food donations are restricted and lacking of variety and proper nutrients that help people live healthy lives. Such a situation promotes obesity, as well as other health and lifestyle problems. How can we be trying to solve a problem by utilizing and enhancing another problem? What would you do if you were in a situation that posed cultural, social, and economic problems for the nourishment and health of your family and loved ones? 

This is where we must take action.

Please take 30 seconds out of your day to click the following link and send a letter to Congress asking them to support anti-hunger legislation.

https://secure.strength.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=113

For further awareness and education, please watch the trailer for the documentary A Place at the Table, that best manifests the reality of Americans that are plagued by hunger.

http://www.magpictures.com/aplaceatthetable/

This film is available on demand via iTunes and Amazon, so be sure to watch it.