For many, a daily meal is just a choice of what to eat for dinner. But for people facing hunger, a daily meal poses a very different type of choice. It’s often an impossible choice between food and other critical needs such as electricity, childcare, or medicine.
Friday, September 1 marks the start of Hunger Action Month. Food Bank for the Heartland is proud to partner with Feeding America to inspire people to take action and raise awareness for millions of Americans facing the impossible choice of hunger. Join the Food Bank in helping us raise 1.5 million meals this month for Heartland neighbors in need.
Scroll down to view a list of this month’s events and activities.
For this special month, Friends of the Food Bank, including the Michael & Michelle Berlin Family Foundation and Neil & Elissa Hamill, are providing a matching gift of up to a total of $70,000!
New this year, Omaha Steaks will generously match food donations made during the Chalk Art Festival and our Stuff the Truck event!
Orange is the color of hunger relief. Help us spread awareness throughout the month, and especially on Hunger Action Day—Friday, September 15. We’re excited to share that RAYGUN has again partnered with the Food Bank to design a special shirt—with 20% of the proceeds from each shirt going back to the Food Bank.
Use code FoodBank20 to receive 20% off your ENTIRE order. Note: This one-time use code is valid through September 30.
Hunger action month events and activities
Below are some important tactics the Food Bank is taking to inspire our community to help fight hunger. To learn more about Hunger Action Month—and its impact— click here to view our recent interview with Share Omaha.
- September 5–9: The WoodmenLife building will light up orange in honor of Hunger Action Month.
- September 6-30: Help neighbors in need with everyday staples. Head to any Omaha Baker’s location and purchase peanut butter and jelly as part of their PB&J drive. Baker’s will match the first 2,000 jars and all donations will be matched by Omaha Steaks.
- September 9 and 10: Chalk Art Festival hosted by Midtown Crossing. This event includes opportunities to support the Food Bank with food or fund donations. Learn more here. All food donations made during the Chalk Art Festival will be matched by Omaha Steaks.
- September 15: Hunger Action Day!
- Wear orange to raise awareness of hunger across the Heartland—and our country.
- Buildings/Structures lighting orange in honor of Hunger Action Month:
- September 15–24: Omaha Restaurant Week—a 10-day celebration highlighting Omaha’s growing culinary scene. 5% of all proceeds will go to the Food Bank. Check out the list of participating restaurants here.
- September 15–29: The Foodies’ PB&J Drive is back! Help provide nourishing food to children in need. This year, you can drop off your donations at most Pinnacle Bank locations. For a full list of drop-off locations, click here.
- September 16: Hunger Action Month Stuff the Truck at Baker’s Lakeside location (173rd & Center) from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. All food donations from Stuff the Truck will be matched by Omaha Steaks.
- ALL MONTH
- Every time you shop at Baker’s you can round up your total at the register or choose your own donation to the Food Bank. It’s all part of their Zero Hunger Zero Waste campaign.
- Hy-Vee has also joined the fight against hunger with their 100 Million Meals campaign. Throughout September—and the remainder of the year—customers can round up to the nearest dollar during checkout.
- Omaha Flea Markets at Westroads Mall will collect non-perishable food donations every Saturday in September. You can also drop off your food donations inside the mall at Flagship Commons.
- Volunteering at the Food Bank in September? Don’t forget to snap a group photo in front of our backdrop using the orange props and tag us in your social media post(s). Connect with our channels here.
- September 1 and 2: Coverage with KETV kicked off on Monday, August 29 leading up to KETV’s Giving Wednesday and will continue through September 2.
- September 6–9: WoodmenLife Tower in downtown Omaha will light orange in honor of Hunger Action Month.
- September 7–30: Listen to KXKT KAT 103.7, KGAB AM 650, 99.9 KGOR, and Sweet 98.5 to hear from Food Bank staff and more about Hunger Action Month.
- September 9–11: An article about the Food Bank will run in the Omaha World Herald and several other markets—including Columbus, Fremont, Kearney, and Lexington—during the weekend of September 9. A Food Bank advertisement will run in these same markets the following weekend.
- September 10: Join us as we Stuff the Truck at the Pepperwood Baker’s location (156th & Dodge) from 10 a.m. to noon, with a live remote from Sweet 98.5.
- September 23: Hunger Action Day.
- Wear orange, spread awareness about food insecurity, and take action against hunger in the Heartland. We’re excited to share that RAYGUN has partnered with us to design a special shirt! 20% of the proceeds from each shirt go back to the Food Bank. View the shirt in two different color options here. Use code FoodBank20 to receive 20% off your shirt purchase. Note: This code is good for one time only and must be used during the month of September.
- Join us on September 23 for a Hunger Action Day Drive-Thru Food Drive, presented by Shadow Lake Towne Center and Carhartt. Learn more here.
- Bellevue University will light their Administrative Services building orange in honor of Hunger Action Day.
- Physicians Mutual Insurance Company will light their building off Dodge Street (downtown Omaha) orange in honor of Hunger Action Day.
- September 23–25: Nebraska Medicine will light up the Davis Global Center at 42nd and Leavenworth in Omaha orange to recognize Hunger Action Month.
- September 24 and 25: The Capitol District in Omaha will light up the main plaza orange in honor of Hunger Action Month.
Help spread the word on your social media channels and to your networks. Learn how you can connect with the Food Bank here. Thank you for your joining us in the fight against hunger!
WAYS YOU CAN JOIN US IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HUNGER
learn
Understand what food insecurity means and how it’s affecting neighbors across the Heartland.
Donate funds
Help a neighbor facing impossible choices today by making a financial gift (and consider becoming a Meal Maker by giving monthly).
donate food
Food donations are integral to our mission—providing meals for thousands each month.
volunteer
Volunteers are the heart of our organization and ensure people across our service area receive the nutritious food they need.
Advocate
Use your voice to make a difference for the thousands of Heartland neighbors experiencing food insecurity.
