Commentary: Holidays are a reminder to fight food insecurity year-round

The holiday season is a timely reminder of the progress that’s been made to help individuals and families struggling with hunger in our community.

Over the past year, Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County has helped local residents in need obtain healthy food, and, on average, helps 200,000 people each month in O.C.

However, this work is not complete. The reality is that there are still many individuals and families in our community who struggle to put food on the table, making it almost impossible for them to realize financial stability.

The first step toward alleviating hunger is to understand the seriousness of the issue — hunger affects people from all walks of life across the U.S. Many hardworking Americans who have experienced loss of income face a tough choice between providing food for their families and paying for their utilities.

In fact a shocking 1 in 7 Americans — more than 48 million people (including 15 million children) — rely on the Feeding America network of food banks to consistently put food on the table, a basic need that directly impacts the ability to be productive at work or school.

Families in Orange County are no exception.

Without consistent access to nutrient-rich food, it’s impossible for individuals and a family to thrive, damaging our community in the long run.

But there is hope. Recognizing that food insecurity does not exist in isolation, food banks are moving beyond food service and building partnerships with job training organizations, healthcare workers, financial firms and others to help the people they serve access resources that enable them to meet vital needs.

Just as important is volunteer support. Be it individual or corporate volunteer networks, volunteerism is a driving force behind the effectiveness of these resources. Working in food distribution, and taking part in local Feeding America events, are just some examples of how we as a community can take charge in the fight against hunger.

For those who are unable to volunteer, a great option of giving back is through donations to the Give A Meal campaign with Bank of America, which stretches your donation with a two-for-one match.

This means for every $1 donated, from September through the end of the year, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation will donate $2 to support Feeding America and its network of food banks. Partnerships like this have a collective impact, providing food to families with basic nutrition needs so they can get back on their feet financially.

To donate to Give A Meal, visit bankofamerica.com/give. Once there, enter your ZIP code and select, “Your Local Food Bank.” Even if you can’t donate, posting the Give A Meal link via Twitter or Facebook helps raise awareness about the more than 4 million families struggling with hunger in our California region.

This holiday season — and beyond — let’s make sure that families in our community don’t have to make painful choices between food and other basic necessities. Using all of our connections, let’s fight hunger and help our friends and neighbors build a stronger community.

ALLEN STAFF is Orange County market president of Bank of America, and NICOLE SUYDAM is chief executive officer of Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.