Dear Editor
In a country as affluent as Canada, hunger is unacceptable. Yet, close to 900,000 Canadians will visit a food bank for assistance this month alone. Of those, 3 per cent are children or youth. Hunger is often a hidden issue, and we are working to change that fact with Hunger Awareness Week, which we've expanded from previous years' Hunger Awareness Day. One day is simply no longer sufficient to call Canada to action on this pressing issue.
Here in the Battlefords the rise in need is represented by an increase of 15 per cent in those turning to us for support, with more than 1,244 individuals (including 651 children under 18) in our community coming to Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre for assistance in the month of March.
But we can change this statistic.
During Hunger Awareness Week, May 7-11, we encourage Canadians to Give it Up for Hunger, to become more conscious of hunger and what it feels like to go without food. The goal is to have individuals Give It Up by putting food out of your reach and challenging yourself to give up your lunches or a food staple for the week.
We hope people will share their experiences and thoughts on this challenge by going to www.hungerawarenessweek.ca and supporting their local food bank. We can work to make a difference for the over 1,200 individuals in the Battlefords who turn to our food bank for support each month. By learning about hunger and experiencing it personally, we can all change the way we think about hunger and activate the changes needed to reduce it.
We encourage everyone to take part. Visit hungerawarenessweek.ca for more information. You won't regret it.
Bill Hall
Executive Director
Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre
