Community Action Partnership of Orange County’s Post

As professionals, we understand that stability begins with meeting basic needs. Bright Path Center's Emergency Food Service is our proactive solution to food insecurity—a challenge faced by many in our community. With generous support from corporate partners including Whole Foods, Los Angeles Food Bank, Smart & Final, Target, and Ralphs, our program extends beyond emergency aid; it's a bridge to a more secure and stable life for our clients. Our services are crucial in helping individuals focus not on their next meal, but on their next steps towards a brighter future. We are here to serve and empower, ensuring no one is sidelined by hunger. We invite you to learn more about this vital program, to seek assistance, or to contribute to our cause. 📞 (323) 345-4322 | 951-682-0088 📧 info@brightpathcenter.org 🌐 brightpathcenter.org Your engagement can change lives. Join us in our commitment to nourish bodies, minds, and futures. #BrightPathCenter #CorporateSocialResponsibility #FoodSecurity #CommunityImpact #SocialInnovation #EndHunger #NonProfitLeadership #SustainableSupport #CommunityEngagement #PartnershipsForChange

Today is World Day of Social Justice. At Foodbank NSW & ACT, we know there are still many barriers preventing people from accessing the food they need. That’s why we make it our mission to tackle food insecurity and provide our communities with equitable access to food, no matter who you are or where you live. With the support of our partners, donors and volunteers, we do this by: 💜Collaborating with industry and partners to source essential food items. 💜Distributing 65,000+ meals daily through 700+ community partner organisations. 💜Offering nutritious breakfasts to students in 600+ schools. 💜Hosting pop-up markets to supply fresh produce in regional areas. 💜Providing crisis support as first responders during disasters in NSW and the ACT. #WorldDayOfSocialJustice #FoodbankNSWACT #FoodInsecurity #CommunityPartners #SupportLocal #FoodRelief #EndHunger #SocialJusticeForAll

For years, West Advisory Group has proudly partnered with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwestern Pennsylvania, working together to alleviate hunger in Erie County and beyond. We’ve witnessed firsthand the devastating impact that food insecurity can have on families and individuals in our region. Hunger doesn’t just mean empty stomachs—it means children struggling to focus in school, parents facing difficult choices between groceries and bills, and seniors who’ve worked their entire lives left without enough to eat. This issue affects the very fabric of our community, and that’s why we’ve made it our mission to take action. Through our long-term partnership with Second Harvest, we’ve seen the incredible difference that consistent support can make. Every meal provided, every life touched, strengthens our community and brings us closer to a brighter, more secure future for all. We took action because we know that hunger is an issue we can’t afford to ignore. You can take action too. Join us in supporting Second Harvest and help make Northwestern Pennsylvania a place where no one goes hungry. #NWPAFoodBank #HungerActionMonth #HAM2024

It's time to elevate the voices of those directly involved in the hunger relief system 🙌 and look beyond the halo effect of the charitable food system. Having managed a large church food pantry for over a decade under the Feeding America network, I often describe my perspective of the system as the toddler view. 👶👶👶 Allow me to illustrate: When a parent cleans a house, they see a polished, clutter-free table and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, perhaps even expecting praise from their partner. But when a toddler looks up, they see a different reality. They notice the cracks, dirt, gum, and grime that have accumulated over the years beneath the table. I have that toddler view. Working at ground level, I witness the areas in need of improvement within food banking and food rescue. Do I have all the answers? No. But I do have solutions. ALL frontline workers have solutions. 💡 My question to those who support hunger relief efforts (foundations, event planners, elected officials, food futurists, food sustainability experts, big corporations, universities, government agencies, journalists, etc.): When was the last time you listened to and amplified the voices of the community leaders on the frontlines rather than relying on the words of those who make decisions behind a computer screen and pose for the perfect picture? Here are some things you can do: 1. Understand the ability to scale doesn't always solve hunger, it might actually perpetuate it. 2. Invite frontline workers to round table discussions, listen fully, and take notes. 3. Provide a safe place for frontline workers to share their concerns without fear of retaliation. 🧐🧐🧐 4. Understand you will have to go against the status quo and think differently. 5. Admit that we all have room for improvement. 6. Realize there are many perspectives. 7. Know that each community is different and a one size fits all approach doesn't work! 8. Encourage frontline workers to be bold with their thoughts and experiences. 📢📢📢 9. Acknowledge that we have all been wrong b/c if we were right, hunger would not exist. #FoodDignity #BetheChange #ElevateFrontlineSolutions #RealSolutions #LocalCommunity #CommunityBuilding

🌟 Addressing Food Insecurity in Texas and Houston: A Call to Action 🌟 ❓ Did you know there are increasing rates of food insecurity in Texas and Houston? In a state known for its abundance and economic prowess, it’s a stark paradox that so many face the uncertainty of their next meal. 📊 The Statistics Speak Volumes: In Texas, approximately 1 in 5 children faces food insecurity, a statistic that’s even more concerning in urban areas like Houston. The pandemic has only exacerbated these issues, pushing more families to the brink of hunger. 🤝 Community Efforts and Opportunities: But there’s hope. Local organizations, food banks, and community initiatives have been stepping up. West Houston Assistance Ministries, Houston Food Bank, and numerous others are doing commendable work. Yet, the need for support – whether it be volunteering, donations, or corporate partnerships – remains high. 🚀 A Call to Professionals and Companies: This is where we can make a tangible difference as professionals and businesses. Whether through corporate social responsibility programs, employee volunteering, or supporting policy changes, every bit counts. 📢 Let’s Start a Conversation: Share your thoughts, experiences, and suggestions on how we can collectively combat food insecurity in our region. Let’s leverage our professional platforms for a cause that affects so many. Together, we can turn the tide against hunger in Texas and Houston! #FoodInsecurity #Texas #Houston #CommunitySupport #SocialResponsibility

True nonprofit growth or expansion happens when we acknowledge food as a human right for all, delivered in the way people define DIGNITY for themselves. 🍽️ A government leader asked if I wanted to expand across Pennsylvania or the nation. I replied, "Our program adapts to the needs of the people. We will never force a community to conform to our program. So, how do you define expand?" Expanding is a delicate issue when fighting hunger. We cannot treat hunger as a business or a platform for our egos. Often, the reality of hunger is misunderstood—it's secretive, heavy, dark, frightening, and political. Hunger is used as tool of power over people in ways most of us will never comprehend, nor dare to explore. It's easy to create solutions for the sake of recognition, accolades, awards, and funding. The real challenge is being a witness to hunger. This requires us to stop and listen with a full heart. It requires hard conversations and the humility to say, "I have it wrong." 🍽️ Food is personal. 🔒 Food is safety. ❤️ Food is love. 💪 Food is empowerment. 🕊️ Food is freedom. #FoodDignity #FoodDignityMovement

New Feeding America Data on Food Insecurity – Some Key Takeaways: Nearly 50% of people facing hunger are unlikely to qualify for SNAP The national food budget shortfall swells to a record high of $33.1 billion, a 43% increase The national average cost per meal rises to $3.99 in 2022 - Individuals who were food secure reported spending an average of $3.99 per meal, totaling $83.79 per week or $363.09 per month. Even after adjusting for annual average inflation, the national average cost per meal increased by nearly 3% compared to the previous year, reaching its highest point in the last two decades. To provide context, this reported amount is 1.6 times as high as the average individual cost of the Thrifty Food Plan ($52.70 per week or $228.50 per month as of December 2022), which serves as the basis for calculating the maximum SNAP benefit allotments by the USDA.

Appreciate Crystal Edmonson and Atlanta Business Chronicle spotlighting the extraordinary level of demand for food assistance that we're seeing right now across metro Atlanta and North Georgia. In June, 250,000 households visited food pantries affiliated with the Atlanta Community Food Bank. That's about 12% of our total population that went to a pantry to get food in the month of June. We're moving more food than we ever have - more than 500,000 lbs of food a day - and it's not enough. Driven by inflation, housing costs and healthcare costs, the economic pressure on low- and moderate-income families is intense, urgent and unsustainable. The Food Bank of course needs community support to continue responding aggressively. But we also need policy solutions that get more resources to these families and alleviate some of that pressure: * We need Congress to pass a Farm Bill that supports farmers and increases resources for families and food banks * We need Congress to pass the expanded Child Tax Credit, which would support more than 600,000 kids in Georgia * We need Georgia to opt into the Summer EBT program to provide additional resources to kids on free/reduced lunch while they're out of school * We need lawmakers at all levels to listen to constituents and realize how many of our neighbors are struggling right now ... and then make expanding resources for these families a top priority. In the meantime, we'll be working hard with all of you to get our neighbors the food they need. https://lnkd.in/gpYG7HgH https://lnkd.in/gZGGZDW2

We know that hunger won’t end until everyone has enough money to buy healthy food. This means we need to work with communities facing hunger to ensure everyone has a grocery store near their homes, access to affordable childcare and reliable transportation to work and school. The growth in food shelf visits is not sustainable. Tackling the causes of hunger, together, is crucial to getting ahead of the problem. That’s why we’re bringing together farmers, neighbors, and nonprofits to make hunger history. #Make HungerHistory #FoodBank #EndHungerTogether

Make Hunger History, a plan initiated by Second Harvest Heartland and championed by Channel One Regional Food Bank, among other statewide partners, offers a bold goal to cut hunger in half for all Minnesotans by 2030. Minnesotans visited food shelves a record seven million times in 2023, a clear indicator of the rising need in the state and the result of sky-high grocery, gas and utility prices coupled with the expiration of pandemic-era emergency relief programs. Channel One Regional Food Bank and Second Harvest Heartland, along with an extensive network of local food shelves and hunger relief partners, is challenging community leaders to find the necessary urgency and creativity to tackle the issue of hunger once and for all. The Make Hunger History initiative will unite communities, policymakers, and business leaders to reduce hunger today by increasing access to emergency food and prevent hunger tomorrow through policy and partnerships, tracking shared progress along the way. Read more about this impactful statewide program in this Star Tribune article.