Second Harvest Food Bank in Irvine is promoting Hunger Action Month throughout September, a national awareness campaign aimed at addressing the inability of many in the community to consistently access adequate food. The campaign encourages residents to learn about food insecurity in Orange County and participate in various activities to help.
The national campaign, launched in 2007, focuses attention on the persistent issue of hunger. Second Harvest has participated since its inception, with local activities intensifying during the pandemic to meet increased demand for assistance.
Claudia Bonilla Keller, CEO of Second Harvest, describes food insecurity as "a problem that is not going away and is actually getting worse." Keller cited findings from the July “Map the Meal Gap” study, which indicated that one in six Orange County children are affected by food insecurity. This represents a 27% increase in child food insecurity over the past year. Keller emphasized the importance of community focus as children return to school and the holiday season approaches.
Hunger Action Month is crucial for energizing the volunteer efforts and financial donations that are vital to the nonprofit's operations. In the last fiscal year, Second Harvest’s 15 truck drivers delivered approximately 42.1 million pounds of food. These deliveries went to a network of local pantries, houses of worship, school programs, colleges and universities, homeless shelters, and senior centers.
This year's activities include special volunteer shifts on September 11, marking the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. These commemorative shifts will be held at Second Harvest’s Marine Way distribution center, open to volunteers aged 13 and older, and at the 45-acre Harvest Solutions Farm near Portola Springs, for volunteers aged 7 and older. All participants in these special shifts will receive a commemorative coin.
Throughout September, Irvine Spectrum Center and Irvine Auto Center will air public service announcements to raise awareness for Hunger Action Month. Additionally, Pretend City Children’s Museum and Wild Rivers are hosting their own events in support of the initiative. Residents have multiple opportunities to get involved, ranging from virtual activities to direct participation.
Keller noted that even those who prefer not to volunteer can engage by taking a tour to listen and learn about Second Harvest's work. Specific opportunities to participate include spreading awareness on social media using Second Harvest’s tool kit on September 10, joining the commemorative volunteer shifts on September 11, and attending an event at Wild Rivers on September 13. Financial contributions can be made by rounding up grocery bills at Ralph’s and Food for Less stores on September 17. A fundraising competition to pull a 70,000-pound tractor-trailer is scheduled for September 26 at 3:30 p.m.; RSVP is required for this event.
Second Harvest encourages the community to focus intentionally on the growing problem of food insecurity through these various actions. Information about the Hunger Action Month calendar and other details are available through Second Harvest’s public resources.
