National Resources – Can we tolerate 1 out of 8 Rhode Islanders not having enough food?

United State Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, DC 20250 Information Hotline: (202) 720-2791

Services related to hunger relief include the National Hunger Clearinghouse and Hotline that includes summer meal site locations and database of organizations providing food assistance.

The Clearinghouse provides a database of non-governmental, grassroots organizations that provide food assistance. These organizations enter their information into the Clearinghouse database, which is available to the public. The database is searchable and downloadable if you click on Find Meals. The organizations are also added to an email list that receives monthly newsletters on nutrition news and education.

It also provides the USDA National Hunger Hotline, which operates from 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM Eastern Time. If you need food assistance, call 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE to speak with a representative who will find food resources near your location. The USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse is currently operated by Hunger Free America.

National Hunger Hotline

Hunger Free America 50 Broad Street, Suite 1103 New York, NY 10004 (212) 825-0028
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Aims to put those in search of food in touch with private and government resources that can help provide it. The coast-to-coast initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, operates Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., at (866) 348-6479 or (877) 842-6273.

According to the U.S.D.A. Hunger Clearinghouse, about one in eight Rhode Islanders and one in five Rhode Island children live in households that can’t always provide food.

The hotline staff puts callers in touch with emergency food providers in their community, government assistance, nutritional assistance programs, and other programs focused on promoting self-sufficiency, according to a press release from the clearinghouse. Such services include providing information about meal sites where children 18 years old and younger can get free meals through the U.S.D.A’s summer food program.

Hunger Volunteer.org

Hunger Free America 50 Broad Street, Suite 1103 New York, NY 10004 (212) 825-0028
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Forty-eight million Americans – including 15 million American children – struggle against hunger. America has the power to make itself entirely hunger free. But seasonal and charitable work, like packing food pantry bags or volunteering at soup kitchens alone can’t end hunger. Higher impact volunteer work, like volunteering professional skills at an anti-hunger organization or advocating for a stronger safety net or higher wages can make a bigger difference in the fight to end hunger. Watch the video below to see how you can help make a hunger free America a reality.

HungerVolunteer.org can help you get started finding high impact volunteer opportunities in your community. If you need more assistance, emailHelp@HungerVolunteer.org to learn more about our Ending Hunger Through Citizen Service program.

Hunger Free America

50 Broad Street, Suite 1103 New York, NY 10004 (212) 825-0028
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Formerly the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, Hunger Free America has gone national.

The organization runs an AmeriCorps VISTA Anti-Hunger and Opportunity Corps Program that engages 60 Americans in full-time this year (and will engage close to 100 next year), in year-round community service in 29 states from coast-to-coast, who collectively aid tens of thousands of families. They launched www.HungerVolunteer.org to make it easier for people to volunteer across America for high-impact anti-hunger projects. This portal is a state-of-the-art tool to enable Americans anywhere to be more effective when they volunteer.

The organization also manages the National Hunger Clearinghouse and National Hunger Hotline on behalf of USDA. Anyone in the U.S. can call 1-866-3-Hungry to learn where they can access government and private food resources in their local community. Last year the hotline enabled more than 10,000 households, calling from all 50 states, to locate food.

Garden Writers Association

355 Lexington Avenue, 15th Floor New York, NY 10017 212.297.2198
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A public service program of the GWA Foundation. Garden writers are asked to encourage their readers/listeners to plant an extra row of produce each year and donate their surplus to local food banks, soup kitchens and service organizations to help feed America’s hungry.

There are over 84 million households with a yard or garden in the U.S. If every gardener plants one extra row of vegetables and donates their surplus to local food agencies and soup kitchens, a significant impact can be made on reducing hunger.

PAR provides focus, direction and support to volunteer committees that promote herb, vegetable and community gardening at the local level. Then we provide training and direction to enable the committee to reach out into the community. Finally, we assist in coordinating the local food collection systems and monitor the volume of donations being conveyed to food agencies.

Hunger and Homelessness Survey

United States Conference of Mayors – December 2015

This report presents the results of a survey of 22 of the cities whose mayors serve on The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness. Officials were asked to provide information on the extent and causes of hunger and homelessness in their cities, and the emergency food assistance and homeless services provided between September 1, 2014 and August 31, 2015. They also were asked for their assessment of the demand for services and the resources available to them in the year ahead. This year’s survey found continuing increases in demand for services and continuing shortfalls in meeting service needs.
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