News Release

SOUTH BEND — September is Hunger Action Month — a month-long campaign dedicated to raising awareness and inspiring action to end hunger in America, according to a news release from the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.

Food insecurity in America has reached its highest rate in more than a decade, reaching 47 million people facing hunger, including 14 million children, the Food Bank said.

According to 2023 data from Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap, 111,110 people in northern Indiana are food insecure, including 34,000 children. Food insecurity can impact anyone regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, ability, geography, national origin or any other distinguishing characteristic or trait.

Tuesday, Sept. 9, is Hunger Action Day. Orange is the symbolic color for hunger relief, and people can make a statement by wearing orange to support those in northern Indiana who go hungry.

The city of South Bend’s River Lights will turn orange on Sept. 9 to recognize Hunger Action Day.

But Hoosiers can work to help alleviate hunger anytime and especially anytime during the month of September.

The Food Bank is offering some ideas.

Collect Food, Money

People can organize a food drive at their workplace, club or place of worship to restock the Food Bank’s warehouse shelves. Food collected is redistributed through the Food Bank’s network of agency partners.

The most needed food items, according to the Food Bank, include:

• Peanut butter
• Jelly
• Canned soup (chicken noodle, cream of mushroom, vegetable, tomato)
• Pancake mix and syrup
• Boxed dinner meals (beef pasta, alfredo, cheeseburger, cheesy tuna, lasagna)
• Canned ravioli
• Canned fruit
• Canned vegetables
• Boxed potatoes (au gratin, mashed)
• Spaghetti and spaghetti sauce
• Items that are low-sugar and low-sodium are needed
• Pop-top lids are preferred
• No glass jars please

Monetary donations help, too. According to the Food Bank, every $1 donated provides up to five meals or eight pounds of food.

Visit, Volunteer

Hoosiers can visit and volunteer at the Food Bank or at its 115 different partner agencies in the Food Bank’s six-county service area to learn about feeding hungry neighbors and creating healthier communities.

A tour of the Food Bank’s facility can help people understand its various programs, including Food 4 Kids Backpack Program, Mobile Food Distribution Program, Senior Nutrition Program, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Community Food Pantry of St. Joseph County.

Contact Legislators

“(W)ith the largest cuts to SNAP and Medicaid in history now signed into law, food and health care will soon be further out of reach for those who need it most,” according to the news release from the Food Bank. “Hunger in America is a crisis.” The Food Bank suggests people can contact their legislators about these issues.

Be Social

If you’re doing an event or activity in September to help alleviate hunger, the Food Bank would like you to share your photos by tagging the Food Bank on Facebook (@Food-Bank-of-Northern-Indiana), X (@FoodBkNIndiana) and Instagram (@foodbknindiana) and include #HungerActionMonth, #EndHunger and @FeedingAmerica.

Hunger Action Month began in 2008 when Feeding America’s network of food banks united to mobilize individuals to take action to fight hunger in their communities. Originally, the initiative was called Hunger Action Day, which began in 2002 and was held on the first Tuesday of June. The Food Bank of Northern Indiana has participated in Hunger Action Month since 2009.