Wanting to harness the support of the local community and bring awareness, Woodland Action Center, a non-profit food bank and community action organization will be interrupting the fascination with food to bring focus to hunger.
We as Americans are always talking about the food we’re cooking and the meals we’re having. We discuss the restaurants we’re going to or want to visit with wild excitement. We photograph our food and share it on social media channels. Trending hashtags like #foodie, #nomnomnom and #yummy are common in our food-crazed lives.
Yet, as the foodie movement continues to gain momentum, so too does the usage of food banks. Since the reduction in SNAP benefits, which are the first line of defense for hunger, there has been an increase in food bank clients to Woodland Action Center. Just last month, they reported an 8.4% increase in the number of Children they serve, totaling 455 Children from the ages of 3 to 18. The rise in need reflects the Washington state statistic of 1 in 5 Washingtonians rely upon their local food bank for their next meal. Woodland Action logged over 11,474 household visits last year and has been struggling to keep up with the need since stopping Saturday distribution due to lack of volunteers.
