Family Volunteer Day Saturday, November 18th
November 18th is Family Volunteer Day!
How do I celebrate?
Step 1: Invite your family or family and friends to volunteer by donating food or signing up to volunteer at a local food bank in your neighborhood on Saturday, November 18th, 2023! Our goal is to inspire volunteerism in a way that works for you!
Step 2: Share your story by posting a photo or video of what your experience was like volunteering or share fun facts about your local food bank or pantry! Tag us when you post!
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Created in 1992, Family Volunteer Day is a global day of service that celebrates the power of families who work together to support their communities and neighborhoods.
One of the best things that came out of the COVID19 pandemic is that communities all over the world united to support and aid each other. The Open Hearts Foundation went to work and established the Emergency Relief Fund to provide grants to needy communities across the U.S. and inspired our global family of volunteers to look to see what they could do to help others through a wide variety of virtual and social media challenges.
The response was amazing which is why we are choosing Family Volunteer Day on Saturday, November 18th to inspire volunteerism around the world! This year we are focusing on food insecurity and hunger relief efforts. We know that the high cost of living, inflation and the end of post-pandemic aid has made it challenging for a lot of vulnerable communities who are facing food insecurity.
We are excited that many of our volunteers are helping local food banks in their neighborhoods:
The Foundation is hosting a team of 15 volunteers to help Manna Conejo Valley with their food distribution and food supply.
A small group of six volunteers are helping our charity partner Solidarity Sandy Springs in Sandy Springs, Georgia.
Another group of volunteers are helping local food banks in the Sacramento area.
Want to join us? Tell us how you are volunteering with us!
Here are a few statistics about the issues of hunger relief around the world:
Worldwide, an estimated 783MM people face food insecurity. There is an urgent need to tackle the food crisis globally. Here is some data from the World Food Programme.
In 2022, 49MM people in America relied on food banks and community programs to bridge the gap for food insecurity and hunger. Of the 49MM food insecure households, 7.3MM children go hungry or uncertain of their next meal. Here are some key statistics and graphics from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s annual report.
Feeding America has some interesting data on food insecurity for the State of California and Los Angeles County (LA). LA County is the most populous county in America, with an estimated 10MM residents. One in five people in LA County experiences hunger.
Call to Action! What can you do to help?
In alignment with our Open Hearts philosophy, we believe in working together for the greater good. We invite you and your family to strengthen your community and help combat food insecurity by volunteering at a local food bank or an organization that is at the forefront of the food crisis in your neighborhood. Donate food or volunteer!
Feeding America is a nationwide network of foodbanks. Look here and sign up to volunteer!
The Global Foodbanking Networks is a community based approach to supporting food banks and food insecurity across the world. Look here to learn more.
We love our Charity Partners and we welcome you to volunteer or support any of these charities across the US:
Creighton Community Foundation, Phoenix, AZ
Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank, Thousand Oaks, CA
Redwood Empire Food Bank, Santa Rosa, CA
Sonoma Family Meal, Sonoma, CA
Solidarity Sandy Springs, Sandy Springs, GA
The Living Room, Santa Rosa, CA
The Volunteer Center of South Bay/Harbor/Long Beach, Southern Los Angeles County, CA