Help needed to keep hunger at bay

Julie A. Murray

Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2010 | 2:01 a.m.

Last year, when I was given the opportunity in this space to share my thoughts, hunger was a real and pressing concern in our valley. Today, one year later, hunger is an even bigger issue given the record-high unemployment numbers in our valley and our state. Simply stated, putting food on the table has become increasingly challenging for hundreds of thousands in our community.

Although the Three Square Food Bank and our supporters have made significant strides in addressing hunger in Southern Nevada, erasing the pangs of hunger requires a collaborative and ongoing effort of the entire community.

In 2007, Las Vegas had one of the country’s lowest unemployment rates at 4.5 percent. Even in the best of times, more than 200,000 Southern Nevadans were struggling with hunger. Today, Las Vegas leads the nation in unemployment at 14 percent. Although 2010 numbers are not yet available, we know that the number of those suffering from food insecurity is staggering. We see it every day in the quickly escalating demand for food and the services of our organization.

The numbers paint a clear picture of the increased need in our valley. During the first quarter of 2010, our 300-plus agency partners — the nonprofit and faith-based agencies that work on the front lines fighting hunger — served 73,000 individuals per month, up from 57,000 in the same quarter of last year.

Another evident increase lies in food distribution; in 2008, Three Square through our agency partners delivered 10 million pounds of food and grocery product to the community; in 2009, the amount increased to 17 million pounds. Currently, we are on track to distribute 20 million pounds of food and grocery product (approximately 16 million meals) by year’s end.

In addition to hunger’s explosive growth, current economic conditions have dramatically changed the face of hunger. Those suffering from hunger are not whom you might imagine. They’re your next-door neighbors, your friends and even members of your family. The loss of jobs and the economic downturn have penetrated especially deep into our community and shattered the stereotype of those who don’t have enough to eat. Today, hunger knows no bounds.

At Three Square, our mantra is simple: No one in our community should go hungry. We are working harder than ever with businesses and corporations, the Clark County School District, UNLV, governmental entities, the media, generous donors and hard-working volunteers, just to name a few, to get the job done.

For example, by partnering with schools and community organizations, we are able to provide the Kids Cafe program, serving at-risk students after-school meals — in case there isn’t anything to eat at home. Through generous donations to our childhood nutrition programs, we are also able to provide the BackPack for Kids program, ensuring that students who depend on free or subsidized meals at school have enough to eat over the weekend. Made possible by our dedicated grocery partners, Three Square continues to expand the Fresh Rescue program and delivers truckloads of fruit, vegetables, dairy products and meat directly to our agency partners daily.

Our challenges and goals are vast, but the bright side is that our community cares. In fact, the events organized by others on behalf of Three Square do much more than just raise food and money; they enhance friendships and generate much-needed awareness.

We feel blessed that so many people want to help. In fact, we benefited from more than 29,000 volunteer hours in 2009 — the equivalent of 14 full-time employees. And we’ve logged more than 26,000 volunteer hours year-to-date in 2010. However, we need to continue to raise the banner about hunger and never become complacent. History has proven that even when the economy rebounds, hunger will continue to be a pressing community issue.

September is Hunger Action Month — a nationwide initiative to increase awareness about hunger and the collective efforts of our country to address it. It is a great time to get involved in a huge and worthwhile undertaking.

Every dollar donated to Three Square provides three meals. That means your morning cup of coffee could easily feed a family of three for an entire day. I encourage everyone to do just one thing to help ensure that no one in Southern Nevada goes hungry.

Three Square is your food bank. We are here for you when you need us. Likewise, we need you when you’re on your feet and able to contribute. The task of fighting hunger is so colossal that it literally takes an entire community continuing to come together for the greater good. Please visit threesquare.org to learn what you can do to help today. We need you now more than ever.

In August, Brian Greenspun turns over his Where I Stand column to guest writers. Today’s columnist is Julie A. Murray, president and CEO of Three Square Food Bank.