September is Hunger Action Month™—the Feeding America network’s annual nationwide campaign designed to inspire people to take action and raise awareness of hunger in the United States. This past year, 1 in 3 of our neighbors experienced food insecurity in Massachusetts. While we may not realize it, each of us knows someone who is hungry—that’s why we all have a role to play in ending hunger here.
Food shouldn’t be an impossible choice. For our neighbors in Eastern Massachusetts, a daily meal isn’t a choice between different dishes. It’s a choice between food and other crucial needs—like medicine, rent, or childcare.
You have a choice. Join us in ending hunger by helping GBFB Fill the Fridge with fresh food—produce, protein, and dairy. You can make a difference by donating, volunteering, learning about hunger in our community, or advocating for food assistance. Your support helps GBFB provide the healthy food needed to meet the urgent need of communities across the Eastern Massachusetts.
Check out our 2024 Hunger Action Month toolkit with turn-key materials and resources on the following pages to spread awareness and encourage your communities to take action.
In this toolkit, you’ll find:
- Social media resources
- Proclamation template
- Press statement template
- Key messaging and activation ideas
- Ways to Get Involved
Spread the word. Share on:
Facebook | Twitter
Hunger Action Month Activities:
Tuesday, September 3: Massachusetts Primary Elections
Check your voter registration status and view your sample ballot for a preview of the candidates running for local, state, and federal office in your district. Check out GBFB’s non-partisan food insecurity candidate questionnaires to learn about candidates’ strategies for ending hunger.
Tuesday, September 10: Hunger Action Day®
Hunger Action Day® is a time for hunger-relief advocates to spotlight our anti-hunger efforts on one day for greater impact. On this day, join GBFB and landmarks across Eastern MA in going orange – the national color of hunger. Post a selfie on social media to show support and generate awareness (tag @Gr8BosFoodBank and use the hashtags #EndHungerHere and #HungerActionMonth)!
Want to increase awareness of hunger in your city or town? Encourage your mayor to issue a proclamation to declare September Hunger Action Day™!
Do you know a building or landmark that should go orange on Hunger Action Day? Please reach out to Senior Public Policy Manager, Kate Adams at govrelations@gbfb.org for more information.
Wednesday, September 11: Boston Meal Pack for 9/11 Day
Join Boston-area volunteers at the TRACK at New Balance to honor the anniversary of 9/11 by packing 450,000 healthy, non-perishable meals to be donated to The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) for distribution to individuals and families at risk of hunger in Eastern Massachusetts. Now in its third year, the 9/11 Day Boston Meal Pack event is one of 21 that are planned in cities across the United States. Learn more and register to volunteer here.
Tuesday, September 17: National Voter Registration Day
According to U.S. Census data from 2020, as many as 1 in 4 eligible Americans are not registered to vote. National Voter Registration Day is a nonpartisan civic holiday aimed at increasing voter registration. Take a moment to make sure you are registered to vote in the upcoming General Elections on Tuesday, November 5th, and check out these resources to help get your friends, family, and broader community registered to vote. Together, we can vote out hunger in local, state, and federal elections!
Thursday, September 19, Taste of the Food Bank
Join us for Eastern Massachusetts’s most anticipated culinary event, Taste of the Food Bank, on Thursday, September 19, 2024. Regional culinary icons and event co-chairs Jody Adams (La Padrona) and Steve DiFillippo (Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse) have curated a lineup of the region’s top restaurants, mixologists, and rising stars, drawing from the area’s most notable chefs, brewers, wine purveyors, and spirit vendors. Learn more and purchase tickets here!
Thursday, September 26: WCVB Day of Giving
Tune in to WCVB Channel 5 on Thursday, September 26 for the 6th Annual WCVB Day of Giving. See inspiring stories about how GBFB and our community partners are making a positive impact on the lives of our neighbors in need. Your help is needed now more than ever. Help us to end hunger here by making a donation today.
Advocacy Priorities:
Join us as we advocate for…
- Farm Bill hunger relief policies and programs. Reach out to your member of Congress and let them know what policy solutions you’d like to see. Learn more about GBFB’s federal policy priorities.
- The Hunger Free Campus Initiative. Learn more about the Hunger Free Campus Coalition, led by GBFB, the Mass. Law Reform Institute, and the Food Bank of Western MA.
Call To Action:
- Join us in thanking our Massachusetts State Representatives and Senators for critical food security investments in the FY25 budget, passed in August 2024!
Please reach out to govrelations@gbfb.org for more information on our policy and advocacy priorities.