Get Involved This Hunger Action Month

Food Bank of Siouxland staff wearing orange to advocate for Hunger Action Month.

September is Hunger Action Month—a month dedicated to bringing light to food insecurity in the United States. No one should choose between having a meal or paying for crucial needs like medicine, electricity, or childcare. Unfortunately, this is a choice many Americans have to make every day. In Siouxland, nearly 25,000 individuals experience food insecurity, and September is the perfect time to take action by supporting neighbors in our community. Check out a few easy ways to get involved during Hunger Action Month.

Participate in or host a Food Drive

Participating in a food drive is a great way to collect food for your local food bank and help those in your community. Food drives can be held at any point throughout the year because any season is a good season to give! The necessity for food is always prevalent for food banks, and food drives not only help the community but also the environment. The food given during food drives reduces the waste going into landfills and helps to nourish those in the community experiencing food insecurity. The sustenance given to these communities with the help of food drives allows these individuals to live better lives.

If you or someone you know is interested in hosting a food drive contact the Food Bank of Siouxland, 712-255-9741, for more information. 

Take a look at our Guide to Food Drives (here) if you have any questions.

Volunteer with us!

At the Food Bank, volunteers play a vital role in our operation, assisting with warehouse tasks such as sorting and boxing dry and frozen donations, and supporting office duties including paperwork organization, cleaning, and preparing letters for mail. Each of these jobs frees up extra time, enabling our team to complete tasks more efficiently and accomplish more during the day. Volunteers allow us to distribute more food to those in need throughout the Siouxland community, making it the perfect opportunity to get involved during Hunger Action Month!

Interested in helping us alleviate hunger in Siouxland? Give us a call at 712-255-9741 and sign up for a volunteer slot!

Monday: 11 A.M.- 1 P.M.

Tuesday: 10 A.M.- 12 P.M. & 1 P.M.- 3 P.M.

Wednesday: 10 A.M.- 12 P.M. & 1 P.M.- 3 P.M.

Thursday: 10 A.M.- 12 P.M. & 1 P.M.- 3 P.M.

Haven’t volunteered before? Check out all our volunteer information here!

Advocate

One in nine adults and one in five children in Siouxland are food insecure, meaning they cannot access enough food for a nutritious diet. Struggles with access to proper nutrition can cause individuals to skip meals or cut back on food, which can have long-term health effects. These hardships are why Hunger Action Month is so important; it causes people to acknowledge other individuals' lived experiences.

One of the easiest ways to advocate for Hunger Action Month is by wearing orange. Orange is the color of Hunger Action Month, and provides many easy ways for the community to get involved. Individuals can participate simply by wearing orange. If you're short on orange clothing, consider lighting up your home orange. Don't worry if these options don't work for you. Any way you can sport the color orange helps advocate for those in need. This year, the Sioux City Clock Tower is getting involved and will be lit up orange for the remainder of the month.

Another way to advocate during Hunger Action Month is to volunteer at your local food bank or food pantry (as mentioned above). There is always a location that could use some extra hands, from sorting the food to distributing the food. Find one that fits into your schedule and you're good to go. The most important thing to keep in mind is to stay educated on hunger in America. If individuals within the community remain educated on this topic, we can all continue to make a difference within our communities for individuals experiencing food insecurity.