SLO Food Bank announces next hunger awareness day
Hunger Awareness Day is a countywide event to ‘educate and activate’ SLO County residents
– The SLO Food Bank has announced that its largest annual community event and fundraiser, Hunger Awareness Day, will happen on June 3, 2022. This year, in addition to in-person donation sites and online experiences, the SLO Food Bank will be coordinating CalFresh application assistance to assist families and individuals with enrolling in this vital nutrition assistance program.
Established in 2007, Hunger Awareness Day is a countywide event to educate and activate SLO County residents about the life-changing impact of community engagement to alleviate hunger in SLO County. This compassionate effort raises critical funds to support the SLO Food Bank’s hunger relief efforts.
“Everyone who joins the SLO Food Bank in this effort is a hunger hero!” SLO Food Bank Development Director Branna Still shares.
The SLO Food Bank invites the community to participate in this important movement in one of many ways, including:
- Donate in support of Hunger Awareness Day. The SLO Food Bank can quadruple the purchasing power of one dollar through bulk purchasing agreements, gleaning operations, donations, grants, and other programs. With that power and with every donated dollar, the SLO Food Bank provides seven nutritious meals for those grappling with hunger in our community.
- Create a fundraising team or individual page. Individuals, businesses, families, and friends can create a fundraising page to create a movement to support hunger relief. Each fundraising page can be customized and shared with others across a variety of platforms.
- Participate at different events and fundraisers throughout SLO County. Sunday, May 29, officially kicks off Hunger Awareness Day at SLO Brew Rock for the 2nd Annual Good Fruit Benefit Concert. Sponsored by Guaranteed Rate and Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, this concert will feature local favorite Damon Castillo Band along with Carbon City Lights, Resignation, and Shawn Clark Family Band. For more information about tickets and other Hunger Awareness Day events, visit the official event website: slofoodbank.org/HAD22.
- Visit donations sites throughout SLO County. On Friday, June 3, SLO Food Bank volunteers and its agency partners will collect vital funds to provide food and peace of mind to neighbors in need in addition to offering information about programs and resources available to help alleviate hunger.
- Sign Up for CalFresh benefits. If you or someone you know has difficulty affording nutritious food, you may be eligible for CalFresh benefits. To learn more about this assistance program, or to apply, visit GetCalFresh.org. On Friday, June 3, the SLO Food Bank will also offer CalFresh application assistance at locations throughout SLO County. To learn more, visit slofoodbank.org/hunger-awareness-day-2022/#had-calfresh-locations.
Many county residents are experiencing hunger due to the lingering effects stemming from the global pandemic and rising costs of living and basic commodities such as food and rent. Through this community event, the SLO Food bank seeks to raise awareness of hunger relief programs available and to provide for those in a position to help with an opportunity to provide nutritious care and peace of mind to those most vulnerable among us.
“Our community continues to navigate unforeseen challenges that negatively impact our overall well-being. The cost of food rose by 9-percent, in tandem with other rising costs, placing additional strains on working individuals, families, and seniors,” explains Still. “Our goal during Hunger Awareness Day is to raise vital funds to support our programs and services. Individual donors heroically provide 68-percent of our annual operating budget. Additionally, we aim to raise awareness about hunger relief resources that are available. CalFresh, for example, is an important program that is underutilized in our community. CalFresh allows people the freedom to select their own foods and ensures federal money is not ‘left on the table,’ so to speak, but rather invested back into our local economy. This annual event and our hunger heroes are essential to all aspects of our mission to alleviate hunger.”
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