There are so many ways to help out in the fight against hunger, both nationally and in your community! Here is a list that hopefully will inspire you to get involved. :)
Volunteer: Most community kitchens and food banks are non- profit organizations that are only able to help people in need with the help of volunteers. One national food bank is Feeding America, which serves all 50 states. To find a food pantry near you that you can volunteer at, visit: http://www.feedingamerica.org/take-action/volunteer/ . I live in central Massachusetts, and there are plenty of organizations around here looking for help including Rachel's table in Worcester, the Worcester County Food Bank, and Lorraines Soup Kitchen & Pantry in Chioppee. For more information on these places click the links: http://www.rachelstable.org/, https://foodbank.org/, and http://www.lorrainessoupkitchen.com/.
Donate: In a world where everyone is constantly busy, a lot of people don't have time to volunteer, so donating canned-goods and other non-perishable foods to your local food pantry is a great easy way to help. If you live in central MA like me, see the link above for Worcester County Food Bank to find out how to donate. If you really want to get involved, ask your school to start a food drive to collect the food items and donate them to a local organization or even directly to local families.
Talk: Some of the most common stereotypes given to homeless people is that they are lazy, or addicted to drugs. Most of the time, this isn't the case. I've come to realize the homeless aren't bad people, just people in bad situations. If you see a homeless person don't just ignore them, but smile at them and start a conversation. Even if you have nothing to give, a simple conversation can have a huge impact. Who knows, they might even help you.
One of the greatest things about helping others is the impact it leaves on you. The feeling of gratitude and accomplishment after a day of volunteer work is one like no other, and if you have never felt it, I strongly encourage you too. If you have any other suggestions on ways or places to get involved please mention then in the comments!
I wrote a post about this topic because I feel like a lot of my posts inspire people to get involved, but this one actually shows them how to. I didn't really face many difficulties writing this article because it was easy to find information on how to volunteer. I wrote this blog to make it easier for people to get involved, because often if something is easy people are more likely to do it.
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