FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA INSPIRES THE SOUTH FLORIDA COMMUNITY TO RALLY TO END HUNGER DURING SEPTEMBER, NATIONAL HUNGER ACTION MONTH
South Floridians Can Take Action to Help Our Almost 1 Million Food Insecure Neighbors By Participating in Community Events, Corporate Volunteer Efforts, Food Drives, Dress Down Days, Sorting Saturdays and More
South Florida – Aug. 28, 2012: On a daily basis, nearly 1 million people in South Florida, including more than 340,000 children, face hunger. During September, Hunger Action Month, Feeding South Florida™ is encouraging South Floridians to do something about it with a variety of events and activities.
Hunger Action Month is a call to action to mobilize the public to raise awareness and take action in support of domestic hunger relief.
Feeding South Florida’s local calendar at www.feedingsouthflorida.org provides individuals with exciting ways to participate in community efforts to end hunger throughout September.
Feeding America Entertainment Council members and celebrities Nick Cannon, Rachael Ray, Ellie Krieger, Alison Sweeney, Samantha Harris and 50 Cent are also urging the public to get involved in Hunger Action Month. They will be featured in a compilation video that explains why they are passionate about the issue of hunger and why it’s important to take action.
Feeding South Florida is working to engage citizens to take action and help spread the word about how pervasive hunger is in the South Florida community:
Participating in Feeding America’s national Light Up Hunger initiative/Go Orange! Day
Orange is the color of hunger relief. Miami Tower in Brickell (100 SE 2nd St, Miami, FL 33131), 110 Tower in Fort Lauderdale (110 SE 6th St., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301) and The Breakers Palm Beach (One South County Road, Palm Beach, FL 33480) will “Light Up Orange” on Thursday, Sept. 6, Go Orange! Day. Also on Sept. 6, Feeding South Florida encourages residents to wear orange or goorange digitally.
Community events
Participating in the month-long Miami Restaurant Challenge: Premier restaurants in the Miami area will compete throughout Hunger Action Month to see which can raise themost money/food for Feeding South Florida. The winner will receive one year of free PR from Dominique Media Group.
· Corner Bakery Cafe Preopening Parties and Grand Opening Fundraiser – Friday, Aug. 31, Saturday, Sept. 1 (preopening parties) and Monday, Sept. 3 (grand opening). The new Miami restaurant, located at 8888 SW 136th St., Miami, FL 33176 at The Falls shopping center, will match donations to Feeding South Florida.
Participating in Donna Klein Jewish Academy Community Service Fair- Wednesday, Sept. 5, 10:30 a.m. at 9701 Donna Klein Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33428-1754.
Happy Hour fundraiser at Mercadito in Miami – Wednesday, Sept. 19, 6-8 p.m. at 3252 NE First Avenue, Miami, FL 33137. $25 donation to Feeding South Florida will include a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres.
Cooper Avenue Market Opening event – Tuesday, Sept. 18, time TBD. Located at the iconic Frank Gehry Building, 500 17th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139.
Color Explosion Fashion Show at Feeding South Florida headquarters – Saturday, Sept. 22, 7 p.m. at 2501 SW 32 Terrace, Pembroke Park, FL 33023.
Corporate Volunteer Groups
Corporations/organizations including Barry University, FedEx, Cherokee International, Morgan Stanley, Nike, Florida Atlantic University, Lexis Nexis, Bank of America, Best Buy, J&W, T.J.Maxx, Temple Judea in Coral Gables, Citrix, SMS Audio, Aramark and DHL will hold food drives, dress down days and volunteer for Feeding South Florida in September in support of Hunger Action Month. Members of the corporations/organizations are encouraged to wear orange on their respective volunteer days.
Save A Lot Mobile Food Pantry in Liberty City – Thursday, Sept. 6, Time TBD
Volunteers from Save A Lot will help distribute fresh, healthy foods to individuals facing food insecurity during the farmer’s market-style food distribution.
T.J.Maxx Mobile Food Pantry at Feeding South Florida Headquarters – Saturday, Sept. 15, 8:30 a.m.- 12 p.m.
Volunteers from T.J.Maxx will help distribute fresh, healthy foods to individuals facing food insecurity during the farmer’s market-style food distribution. Located at 2501 SW 32 Terrace, Pembroke Park, FL 33023.
Sorting Saturdays
The public is invited to volunteer to sort, package, label and weigh donated food to be distributed to nearly approximately 450 nonprofit agencies throughoutSouth Florida. Please register at www.feedingsouthflorida.org. Located at 2501 SW 32 Terrace, Pembroke Park, FL 33023.
Hunger Action Month Proclamations
Feeding South Florida is working with all four counties it services – Broward (City of Lauderdale Lakes, City of Hallandale, Hunger Forum), Miami-Dade (City of North Miami Beach), Palm Beach (Palm Beach County Commission, Riviera Beach) and Monroe (Monroe County Commission, Layton City) – as well as the State of Florida, to secure proclamations declaring September as HungerAction Month.
9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance
The Corporation for National and Community Service is working with numerous organizations to implement one of the largest days of charitable service in U.S. history for the anniversary of this effort, launched in 2002. Feeding South Florida welcomes anyone who would like to perform community service in honor of 9/11 victims, survivors, and others who rose up in service in response to the attacks. For more information, visit www.feedingsouthflorida.org or call (954) 518-1818.
Other ways South Floridians can take action against hunger are:
· Find Feeding South Florida on Facebook and hit “like.”
· Donate your social media status to hunger.
· Share a hunger fact with friends.
· Volunteer at and/or tour Feeding South Florida.
· Speak out by filling out a paper plate at Feeding South Florida to send to your local elected official.
· Speak up for national nutrition programs by sending a postcard to elected officials.
“Every day there is an opportunity for the South Florida community to end hunger,” said Paco Vélez, CEO of Feeding South Florida. “Hunger Action Month issues a challenge to get the community engaged in raising awareness, volunteering, donating food andfunds and ‘Going Orange.’ There is a room at the table for everyone!”
For more information about how Feeding South Florida is participating in Hunger Action Month, visit www.feedingsouthflorida.org.
About Feeding South Florida
Feeding South Florida™ is a nonprofit organization that empowers other South Florida nonprofit organizations to assist people in need and improve their lives. Feeding South Florida does this by providing food and other grocery products, and by educating and engaging the community to fight hunger and poverty. Through a local network of approximately 450 other nonprofit organizations, Feeding South Florida strives to serve almost 1 million individuals in need, including more than 340,000 children who are food insecure, the elderly, the mentally and physically challenged, veterans and the working poor, in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties with compassion and integrity. Feeding South Florida, one of the largest food banks in the state, is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. In 2011, Feeding South Florida distributed over 30 million pounds of food valued at almost $50 million within the South Florida community. Feeding South Florida’s headquarters is located at 2501 SW 32 Terrace, Pembroke Park, FL, 33023. For more information, please call (954) 518-1818 or visit www.feedingsouthflorida.org.