FOOD BANK OF NORTHERN NEVADA AND FEEDING AMERICA NETWORK RAISE AWARENESS OF THE ISSUE OF HUNGER THROUGHOUT HUNGER ACTION MONTH Hunger-Relief Organizations Encourage the Public to Join Spoontember this September and Support the 49 Million People Who Struggle with Hunger in America . McCarran, NV, September 1, 2015 – Food Bank of Northern Nevada , a member of the Feeding America® nationwide network of food banks, will observe Hunger Action MonthTM – a nationwide initiative designed to mobilize the public to take action on the issue of hunger and join the movement to help end hunger. Hunger advocates from northern Nevada and across the country are working together this September to shine a light on the issue of hunger and the 1 in 6 people who face hunger in America – including 105,320 here in northern Nevada. “One in 6 people, including 43,360 children in northern Nevada struggle with hunger, and Food Bank of Northern Nevada is eager to rally around Hunger Action Month as we continue our fight to solve this issue,” said Cherie Jamason, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. “Hunger is an issue that affects everyone – our child’s classmate, an office coworker or neighbor down the street. September is an opportunity for all hunger-relief advocates to take simple steps towards supporting those in need.” The Feeding America network of food banks also is participating in the new SpoontemberTM online initiative. To get involved, supporters can share a ‘spoon selfie’ or video of themselves balancing a spoon on their nose – a utensil that is most often used to prepare and provide food for others – and challenge friends and family to join them to generate awareness of the 49 million Americans who may not know where they’ll find their next meal. In addition, Food Bank of Northern Nevada will commemorate Hunger Action Day®, which will be held Thursday, September 3. Hunger Action Day is an opportunity for the country to learn more about how hunger affects their community. Hunger advocates are encouraged to wear orange, post selfies, and use the hashtags #hungeraction, and #spoontember. “Domestic hunger affects every community in our nation, preventing millions of families, seniors and children from thriving,” said Matt Knott, president of Feeding America. “This September we all are given a chance to come together and make a difference for those facing hunger." Food Bank of Northern Nevada is providing several opportunities for community members to get involved in Hunger Action Month in northern Nevada: · Thursday, September 3 - Go Orange and spread the word! Post your #spoontember selfie. · The month of September also kicks off Bank of America’s Give a Meal Campaign. This campaign allows donors to amplify their donations through a 2 to 1 match! Individuals can donate to the campaign online by visiting feedingamerica.org/bankofamerica to help support the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. For every $1 donated through Give A Meal, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation will give $2 more, up to $1.5 million across the nation - giving donors the opportunity to triple their impact. · Run on Tuna Garage Sale: Saturday, September 12 from 7 am – 3 pm, located at 588 Marsh Avenue, Reno, NV 89509. Shoppers can exchange tuna for “tuna bucks” to buy items or pay with cash that will be used to buy tuna. All tuna raised will be donated to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. · Thursday, September 17 – Under Shelter: The Power Within at the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. A very special evening of art and entertainment with the beautiful images in the exhibit by Judy Schott featuring portraits of people living in family shelters. The event is from 5:30 -8:30 pm with a suggested donation of $10. Proceeds to benefit the Food Bank of Northern Nevada and Volunteers of America. RSVP for this event here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/under-shelter-the-power-within-tickets-18264335118 · Volunteer – Each contribution of time by volunteers sorting and packing food makes such a huge difference in the lives of families receiving food assistance. Visit http://fbnn.org for more information or email Mary Burdick at maburdick@fbnn.org to sign up. · Beginning Saturday, September 26 – The Food Bank themed Andelin Family Farms corn maze. Get $1 off admission into the maze with a food donation through October 31. Visit http://www.andelinfamilyfarm.com/ for more information. · All Month – Kimmie Candy is selling special Hunger Action Month ChocoRocks® with 100% of the profits going to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada. Candy can be purchased online at https://www.shopkimmiecandy.com/. · Squeeze In – Visit any of the three Reno/Sparks locations of Squeeze In, donate tuna to the Food Bank and receive double points in their Egghead loyalty program. Locations can be found at Squeezein.com · Kings Row Pet Hospital Tuna Drive – Donate 3 cans of unexpired tuna and receive $5.00 off your vet bill. Donate six cans and receive $10 off your bill! More about Kings Row Pet Hospital here: http://krphvets.com/. Details and additional Hunger Action Month activities can be found at fbnn.org. Individuals can also help show their support for hunger relief and Spoontember by joining the Hunger Action Month Thunderclap on Hunger Action Day, Thursday September 3, at 12pm EST. By visiting the Hunger Action Month Thunderclap https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/29835-spoontember advocates can synchronize a Thunderclap Facebook and Twitter message to be shared in tandem with thousands of others to raise awareness about domestic hunger. Food Bank of Northern Nevada is one of 200 member Feeding America food banks, which serves every county in the United States and provides over 3 billion meals each year to Americans in need.