Hunger & Food Access
Photo by Anton Bogomolov (CC)
The stats are undeniably grim: hunger in the US is at a 14-year high; one in eight Americans uses food stamps; 4.8 million Americans relied on food pantries in 2009. Meanwhile, childhood obesity rates continue to plague families who cannot afford nutritious foods and fill up instead on inexpensive (but high calorie) fast food meals and heavily processed snacks and sodas. Paradoxically, while many Americans struggle to access enough food, the foods most available to them tend to be detrimental to their health.
The Jewish text Pirkei Avot states, “Where there is no flour (bread) there is no Torah.” On the surface, it’s a strange phrase – what could flour and Torah have to do with one another? But read closely, it suggests that without being properly fed, people are not able to experience knowledge, or function normally in the world. (Consider how hard it is to think straight on an empty stomach.) Read this way, the text asserts that at a very deep level, good nourishment is a primary need for everyone.
From volunteering at soup kitchens, to organizing gleaning days at farms, to campaigning for fair food access, Jews have a long legacy of getting involved around hunger. Learn more about the Jewish response to hunger below.
Ways to Serve Now
- Coordinate a canned food drive or monetary collection to benefit a local food pantry.
- Advocate to get food stamps accepted at your local farmers’ market.
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen on a monthly basis.
- Become a healthy cooking instructor for a community organization.
- Volunteer at a community garden or youth-empowerment garden in a low-income neighborhood.
Find more opportunities at Repair the World’s service opportunities page.
Learn More
Hunger 101 Feeding America
Hunger Facts in America Mazon
International Hunger Facts Bread for the World
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