Fighting Hunger Through New Media
We asked Revolution Hunger’s Jessie Chen to reflect about the greatest hits of her months as a New Media Producer with Revolution Hunger. Here’s what she had to say:
Fighting Hunger with Memes
My favorite blog posts that I have done have been images. I have noticed that they receive much more recognition from viewers, while at the same time they are very quick to make. Also, in particular, I really enjoy my Gandhi posts.
Jessie Chen is the San Francisco New Media Producer for the Revolution Hunger Campaign. Jessie prides herself in working with great organizations such as buildOn, Youth Steering Committee, and the ACLU.
What is hunger to you? I will tell you, hunger is not only in third world countries — Africa, as some may say. Hunger Hits Home, right there in your community. People have to decide which bill they are not paying in order for them to buy food. But, you can make a difference by spreading the word, donating money, volunteering at a local food bank, raising funds to support those struggling in your community! Become an official ‘Hunger Fighter’ with the Revolution Hunger campaign! We are a group of teens tackling hunger in our communities which is making a global impact — we aspire to decrease the amount of hungry folks!
Here’s an amazing video from our friends at World Savvy. A team of 13 teens asked the question, “what does climate change mean for Bangladesh?” Seven of the high schoolers were from Bangladesh, and six were from the US.
World Savvy is a cool organization that helps teens learn the critical thinking, teamwork and media skills they need to lead in the 21st Century. Check them out!
Fighting Hunger, Feeding America
By Ryan Young
When we think about hunger, we might associate the issue with people living outside of the United States, but you may be surprised to learn that hunger is also an issue that affects millions of people right here in America. Feeding America’s mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage the country in the fight to end hunger. As the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, more than 200 food bank members help 61,000 agencies provide food to more than 37 million Americas each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. You can learn more about your local food bank and what they are doing to address hunger by visiting FeedingAmerica.org.
America is often referred to as the land of plenty. While that is true in many ways, it is also true that 1 in 6 Americans are struggling with hunger. Many believe that the problems associated with hunger only exist in specific communities, particular neighborhoods, or certain parts of the country. The reality is that there is no one of face of hunger. Hunger is an issue everywhere in America and these people are usually hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and must go without food. No matter where you live, in an urban, suburban or rural community, those around you can be struggling with hunger.
Hunger can affect many groups of people, but one group that suffers greatly is children. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 16.2 million children under the age of 18 in the United States live in households where they are unable to consistently access enough nutritious food necessary for a healthy life. Children who struggle with hunger are more likely to have poor physical and mental health, have trouble in school, and develop behavioral issues. Although hunger is harmful to everyone, it can be particularly devastating for children because of their vulnerability and potential future consequences.
Feeding America serves approximately 14 million children, over 3 million of which are ages 5 and under. We fight child hunger through a number of national programs like the BackPack Program, Kids Cafe, and School Pantry Programs. For more than 15 years, the Feeding America Backpack Program has helped fight child hunger by providing hungry children with healthy and easy-to-prepare food during times when other resources as not available, such as weekends and school vacations. Today, backpacks are assembled at more than 150 food banks and distributed to nearly 230,000 children every year! You can use the Food Bank Locator to see how you can help fight child hunger in your community.
Kat is a testament to how the Feeding America BackPack Program has changed the lives of children across America. Kat lived in a household where food was not always available and she felt many of the effects linked to hunger including physical discomfort and difficultly concentrating in school.
Three Square Food Bank, a Feeding America member food bank, began a BackPack Program at Kat’s local high school during her senior year and because of the BackPack Program, Kat’s grades improved greatly and she no longer felt the physical pains of hunger. You can hear more about Kat’s story in the video below and on the Feeding America blog.
It may seem like hunger is an issue that is way too difficult for one person to solve, but together we can all join in the fight to end hunger for millions of people in America. Some ways you can help are by volunteering at the local food bank in your community, hosting a virtual food drive , collecting donations, or informing your family, friends, and followers on Facebook and Twitter! With nearly 49 million people in America struggling with hunger, it is going to take your help and the help of many other Americans to change the issue of hunger in America.
Feeding America intern Ryan Young was born and raised in Chicago and graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BS in Media and Cinema Studies. Ryan is a marathoner, devoted older brother and social media enthusiast with a passion for fighting hunger in America!
