Helping Holiday Hunger
December 8, 2021
By Amanda Bang
Food insecurity is a problem that persists and affects millions of people around the world. In 2020 alone, over 38 million Americans, which is around 12 percent of the population, lived in a household that struggled with food insecurity or had trouble accessing an affordable and nutritious diet, according to the Food Research Action Center from a study done by the US Department of Agriculture. These statistics portray a nine percent increase from 2019. Additionally, one in 25 of households in the U.S. experienced severe low food security.
The increase of food insecurity from 2019 can be a possible effect of the coronavirus pandemic. The World Bank credited increase in domestic food prices as one of the effects of the pandemic that could affect lower income households leading to food insecurity.
Although these numbers might seem removed from what you see around Commonwealth Avenue, hunger is not just a nationwide problem. In Massachusetts, one in 12 people face food insecurity, according to Feeding America. Especially, one in 11 children face hunger locally.
As the holiday season comes by, where a lot of us will be spending some warm and great family time, there will be many families all around the country and even in Massachusetts spending a hungry Christmas and New Years.
So what can we do to face this problem and help holiday hunger?
One easy and accessible way for BU students to help those in need is to look for the “Holiday Food Rescue” food drive from BU Student Food Rescue from BU Community Service Center. They are looking to collect non-perishable food such as canned or boxed food. The food drive will happen from Dec. 13 to Dec. 18, providing a great opportunity for students to drop off some food before going off to winter break.
Donations are easy to make and are accessible to BU students all over campus. Donation boxes are to be placed at all parts of the campus. Some examples are Myles Standish Hall on the east campus, Warren Towers on the central campus, and both Student Villages on the west campus. There are other food drop off locations, which can be found here. The named locations will provide big cardboard boxes that are identifiable with the flyers attached to the box.
According to BU Student Food Rescue, the food collected will be sent to select community partners in the Greater Boston area. Some examples they provide are “local food pantries, homeless shelters, and community fridges.”
There are other ways to help out on the cause for the local Boston area. Greater Boston Food Bank has a Hunger Free Holiday campaign as well. They have a program that allows a $25 donation to provide one healthy holiday meal for one family.
The holiday season is just around the corner, with the carols played in the dining halls and Christmas tree decorations at Kenmore. It can be a time to spend with family and friends back at home. But it also can be a time for giving and making sure other families around the area will have the same warmth and comfort in their holidays. So, if you do have extra canned or boxed food in your dorms, or if you’re taking a trip to the nearby grocery store, why don’t you consider giving back to the local community and help end holiday hunger?