45 Things You Can Do to Fight Hunger

By Carlos Navarro

Many of us like to put together lists.  It's fun to find a common thread in activities, subjects, or places that have something in common.  (Anyone for the Top 10 Lamest Members of the Justice League,  the Top 10 Uses for Hot Peppers or the Top 25 Urban Legends?)

The culinary site The Daily Meal has created a list entitled "44 Things You Can Do to Help Fight Hunger in America." The list is lacking one very important action: Speaking out for those who are hungry. There is no suggestion that we engage in advocacy, and this is a major oversight.  Really, we should change the list to "45 Things You Can Do to Help Fight Hunger."

I also want to suggest a modification for the number one suggestion, which is "Skip a Meal"—an action proposed by the New York City-wide Skip Lunch Fight Hunger Initiative.  You're asked to bring a sack lunch one day a year (instead of going out for lunch), and then donating the proceeds to City Harvest in New York City (or the appropriate organization in your community).  A better suggestion, in my opinion, would be to skip lunch altogether (more than once a year) and then donate the proceeds.  The hunger pangs would put you, even for a short period, in solidarity with someone who has to go without food.  That would be a true fast.

Still, there are many very good suggestions about various activities that a person could take.  Here is the article's  slide show.

Here are three of the things that apply directly to me:

Buy Fair Trade Stuff
The Hunger Site is an online activism website that sells fair trade items, including seasonal home décor, African products, and everyday goods, to benefit participating charities like Feeding America, Millennium Promise, and Mercy Corps. Proceeds are split between the organizations and go toward fighting hunger in more than 74 countries around the world.

Blog About Hunger
WhyHunger just launched a new partnership this year with a group of food bloggers committed to the fight against hunger. The program, called Bloggers Without Borders, supports organizations that work to address the injustices of our food system. The team uses their ability to raise awareness in the blogging community to help further the goals of food-related organizations. Read more about what part you can play here.

Take a Walk
Some 2,000 communities across the country participate in CROP Hunger Walks each year, raising funds for local hunger-fighting organizations and agencies, as well as international relief efforts. With more than 1,600 walks a year, there are plenty of chances to get involved and work toward their cause of "Ending Hunger One Step at a Time."

This article originally appeared on the Bread New Mexico Blog. 

Carlos Navarro has been a Bread member for over 20 years and has led Bread’s presence in New Mexico for the last decade. He maintains the Bread for the World New Mexico website and blog, and serves on the Bread for the World board of directors.