BALTIMORE –The Maryland Food Bank and its partners, the Maryland State Police and the Department of Transportation, Charm City Run, Giant Food, and the Baltimore Ravens, kicked off Hunger Action Month 2014 at the food bank’s Baltimore headquarters.

“The face of hunger is changing and includes working Americans who don’t know where their next meal will come from,” said Maryland Food Bank President & CEO Deborah Flateman. “This month in particular, we’re encouraging people to ‘be a voice’ for this serious issue that affects 1 in 7 Marylanders.”

Throughout September, food banks across the nation are rallying to raise awareness and inspire action against hunger, an issue affecting an estimated 50 million Americans. Nearly 780,000 Marylanders experience food insecurity, and 38 percent in the Maryland Food Bank’s service area earn “too much” to receive SNAP food assistance benefits.

The Maryland Food Bank and its partners announced a calendar of events scheduled throughout the month, including the following highlights:

 

When: September 3 – 26, 2014

Where: State Police barracks, State Highway Administration offices, Transportation Authority locations, and a number of MVA branch offices statewide

Throughout the month of September, the Maryland State Police, the Department of Transportation, and allied law enforcement agencies will collect food donations at sites across the state. The pressure is on to see which agency will collect the most! The list of drop-off locations can be found at www.mdfoodbank.org/hunger-action-month.

When: September 4, 2014 / 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Where: Charm City Run stores

Head to any of Charm City Run’s five locations to join the community for a run against hunger. Wear orange in solidarity, bring canned food donations, and share photos of your run on social media - be sure to tag your images with #BeAVoiceMFB! The Maryland Food Bank will also receive a percentage of all orange items sold in Charm City Run’s stores.

When: September 19, 2014 / 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Where: Martin’s West - 6817 Dogwood Road, Windsor Mill, MD 21244

Hear from an internationally-recognized lineup of leaders in the field of hunger relief, including United Nations World Food Programme Executive Director Ertharin Cousin, who will serve as the keynote speaker. Experienced anti-hunger advocates will also address why we can—and must—solve the problem now. Some of the day’s highlights also include panel discussions, live polling, Q&A with experts, and the Hunger Advocacy Awards Luncheon.

 

When: September 28, 2014 / 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Where: M&T Bank Stadium

Maryland Food Bank volunteers will be stationed at M&T Bank Stadium gates to collect food and funds for the hungry. Donations of non-perishable, nutrient-rich foods like peanut butter, tuna fish, cereal and canned fruits and vegetables are encouraged. Plus, every $1 donated provides two meals to hungry Marylanders.

In addition to these events, the general public will be able to donate food through the food bank’s new virtual food drive platform. Click here for to donate.

All month long, Marylanders can also participate in the food bank’s Be a Voice Campaign, an interactive, online multimedia collaboration to share stories, volunteer, and donate food and funds, all in an effort to help end hunger. Individuals and groups are encouraged to share photos holding Be A Voice speech bubbles with personal messages about hunger and why they care about the issue. Tag photos with #BeAVoiceMFB and connect with @mdfoodbank  on Twitter and Facebook.

Speech bubbles and more information about the Be A Voice Campaign are included in the official Hunger Action Kit, available online at www.mdfoodbank.org/hunger-action-month.

The Maryland Food Bank is a nonprofit hunger-relief organization, leading the movement to end hunger throughout Maryland. For more than thirty years, the Maryland Food Bank has partnered with communities across the state to distribute food to individuals and families in need. Through carefully-crafted programs, the food bank aims to meet the immediate needs of Marylanders while simultaneously working to find long term ways to reduce hunger statewide. Currently distributing 75,000 meals per day – more than 27 million meals annually – the Maryland Food Bank will continue to expand its efforts until hunger ends.

The Maryland Food Bank operates from three facilities: one in Baltimore, one in Salisbury, and one in Hagerstown. Through an extensive network of soup kitchens, pantries, schools and other community-based organizations, food is distributed throughout 22 counties, including Baltimore City, and Somerset, Wicomico, and Washington counties – some of the most food-insecure regions in Maryland.