INTRODUCTION
HOW TO USE THIS HANDBOOK Whatever your age or income, you can engage in effective voluntary citizen service to fight hunger, ranging from food drives to contacting elected officials about policy changes that will help families in need. We’ve collected a wealth of information all in one place, and to make it easy to learn how you or your organization can take action, we’ve created individual chapters by opportunity area. Each chapter includes a description of how you can engage in volunteerism, followed by a checklist and resources for the volunteer and for the nonprofit organization. Once you’ve chosen an activity, you’ll find notes and action steps for each activity to guide you through the process. There is also an appendix, full of facts, additional resources, and more. Whether you’re looking to organize a team building food drive or utilize your personal skills to help build capacity for hunger organizations or drive policy change, there is a wide range of ways to get involved and have an impact. We encourage you to consider efforts that can create longer-term, sustained impacts to reduce hunger. To help the reader identify these opportunities, the New York City Coalition Against Hunger added an impact meter to each chapter. There is no one way to address the complex issue of hunger in America. It requires collaboration of individuals, nonprofits, policy makers, and companies banding together to find sustainable solutions. Hunger is not an issue that exists “somewhere” in America, but it lives in every county across the United States. Through voluntary citizen service, we can all do our part to help end hunger.
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BEYOND THE FOOD DRIVE