30-Day Hunger Action Challenge | That's Caring
30 Days & 30 Ways to Raise Awareness and Solve Hunger
Established by Feeding America in 2008, Hunger Action Month is a nationwide initiative designed to mobilize you to take action against hunger. At That's Caring, we challenge you to take part in our mission to solve childhood hunger with the 30-Day Hunger Action Challenge.
The month has been divided into five-day campaigns that target helping and providing awareness for one of six specific aspects of American hunger: nutrition, activity, ethical shopping, volunteering and compromising.
- Nutrition is an important aspect of hunger because many struggling with food insecurity have no choice but to buy cheaper, unhealthier options as opposed to healthy, nutritious food. This results in health consequences and a lack of energy, particularly for children.
- Activity is hard for children living in food-insecure households. When children don't get the proper nutrients, then they don't have the energy to do the activities that children should be able to do, such as playing, doing sports, participating in gym class and more.
- Compromising is something that parents in food-insecure households have to do every day. When you only have a limited quantity of money, you have to make incredibly difficult decisions about what to spend it on. Because food is an essential part of survival, it often is prioritized over other, still very important bills, including utilities, transportation, medical care, housing and education.
- Childhood Hunger differs from hunger in adults in numerous ways. Children are more likely to struggle with hunger than adults, and the effects that it has are greater. Children who grow up hungry or with improper nutrition have developmental issues, both socially and physically, and also have a harder time getting through school.
- Ethical Shopping is an easy way to help, especially if you don't always have the time to volunteer. Whenever you buy something—whether it's clothes, gifts or even groceries—consider the effects of your purchase. Many organizations give back to hunger or other relevant, deserving causes, and your purchase can make a serious impact.
Our 30-Day Hunger Action Challenge specifically educates both participants and observers about these five elements of hunger. Some days, our challenge is for you to simply vote in a Facebook poll or post on Instagram; at other times, we encourage you to budget or shop ethically for five days in a row.
We challenge you to do one thing every day to raise awareness and help the hunger struggle in your community. Here's our 30-Day Hunger Action Challenge—if you participate, make sure to let us know by tagging @ThatsCaring and using the hashtag #30dayhungerchallenge. Ready, set, go!
Day 1: Instagram: Post a picture of an activity you need energy to do.
Day 2: Volunteering: Volunteer at a food pantry.
Day 3: Twitter: Participate in our poll and ask your followers the same question.
Day 4: Ethical Shopping: Buy an ethical alternative for your groceries.
Day 5: Instagram: Post a picture of a balanced meal you made/ate.
Day 6: Twitter: Participate in our poll and ask your followers the same question.
Day 7: Volunteering: Volunteer with a coworker.
Day 8: Ethical Shopping: Buy a one-for-one product that gives back to a hunger related cause.
Day 9: Twitter: Participate in our poll and ask your followers the same question.
Day 10: Instagram: Post a picture of a product/gift that gives back
Days 11-15: Budget & Donate: For these five days, we challenge you to live on a budget. Take a look at your usual weekday expenses and set a daily spending limit for yourself that you cannot go over. The median income of a food-insecure household is $9,175, or about $176 for all weekly expenses, including food. This will give you some perspective on what it's like to live in a household that has to compromise expenses. Additionally, whatever money from your budget you don't spend can be donated to a local food bank or Feeding America to help hunger.
Day 16: Volunteering: Volunteer at a child care facility or work with children at a food pantry.
Day 17: Ethical Shopping: Eat at an ethical chain restaurant.
Day 18: Twitter: Participate in our poll and ask your followers the same question.
Day 19: Ethical Shopping: Shop at an ethical store.
Day 20: Volunteering: Volunteer with a friend.
Day 21: Instagram: Post a picture of yourself volunteering.
Day 22: Ethical Shopping: Give a gift that gives back.
Day 23: Volunteering: Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
Day 24: Twitter: Participate in our poll and ask your followers the same question.
Days 25-29: Food Drive: We challenge you to host a flash food drive! For five days at the end of September, host a food drive at your office, community center, place of worship or just at popular spots in your area, like the grocery store. If you're intimidated by this challenge, don't worry—we've got a comprehensive guide to hosting a food drive here.
Day 30: Instagram: Post a picture of you as a child captioned with your takeaways from the past 30 days.
This September, join us on our mission to solve childhood hunger and participate in our 30-Day Hunger Action Challenge. Share your challenge progress with us on social media by tagging @ThatsCaring and using the hashtag #30dayhungerchallenge—we can't wait to see your good work!