Thanksgiving is a few days away, and for millions of Americans, it’s time to give thanks and enjoy a little (or a lot of) bird.
But, for the hunger-relief community, Thanksgiving represents more than a time to offer thanks and devour turkey — it’s also a time to make one last call out for donations by year’s end.
Due to the recession, this year has been extremely challenging for the hunger-relief community. The numbers speak for themselves. In October, the U.S. unemployment rate reached 10.2 percent, the highest level since April 1993, and jobless rates increased in 29 states and the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of Labor reported on Friday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service announced on Monday that 49 million Americans are “food insecure,” up 36 percent from a year ago and the highest level since the agency began tracking the figure 14 years ago.
And according to a study conducted by Feeding America in September, requests for emergency food assistance at its network of 200-plus food banks are up an average of 30 percent from a year ago.
Of course, seafood companies are also feeling the effects of the recession, which has hampered their ability to donate product and services to hunger-relief organizations, said Jim Harmon, executive director of SeaShare, a Bainbridge Island, Wash., nonprofit hunger-relief organization that links seafood companies to food banks nationwide. The volume of product SeaShare has handled is down so far this year, but the number of seafood companies contributing hasn’t changed, noted Harmon.
Like all hunger-relief organizations, SeaShare will make one final push for donations in the remaining five weeks of 2009. In addition to product, seafood companies are encouraged to donate services like transportation or cold storage or money to go toward processing or labor costs.
“We’re very thankful for our donors,” said Harmon.
Do your part by reaching out to SeaShare and donating product, services or money to help prevent hunger. Times are tough in the seafood industry. But for the 16 percent of Americans struggling to put food on the table, times are much tougher.
