Feeding America Encourages the Nation to Volunteer in the Fight Against Hunger

CHICAGO, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization, today asked the nation to volunteer in the fight against hunger. The charity also thanked the thousands of volunteers who help the nation's food banks serve nearly six million Americans each week. April is National Volunteer Month.

"Volunteers donate an enormous amount of time and energy to our network of food banks and the food pantries, kitchens and emergency shelters they serve. We call our volunteers the backbone of our network and the lifeline of our nationwide charitable feeding system," said Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America.

"Feeding America network volunteers provided more than 8.9 million hours of volunteer service in Fiscal Year 2013 – the equivalent of more than 4400 full-time workers. If these volunteers were paid at the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, their work would cost our network more than $64 million. Our network food banks could not function without the generous support provided by our volunteers," Aiken said.

Volunteers range from a retiree who packs bags once a week and a family who works in a soup kitchen on weekends to a school classroom that helps at their local food bank once a year. Many of our food banks can offer a variety of opportunities for volunteers, such as sorting and packing food, helping our advocacy efforts or working with a child or senior hunger program.

To find out how you can help in your local area, visit the Feeding America web site at www.feedingamerica.org and go to the "food bank locator."

About Feeding America
Feeding America is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 37 million people through 61,000 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate.  Together we can solve hunger. Visit http://www.feedingamerica.org/. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

Contact:
Ross Fraser
312.307.8470

SOURCE Feeding America