The air conditioner at my home went out during one of the hottest stretches of the summer. A few days later, I was staring at a bill I hadn't planned for.
We've all had one of those bills.
A transmission. A medical expense. A broken water heater. Something that wasn't in the budget and couldn't wait.
For thousands of families in Northwest Arkansas, there isn't much room in the budget to absorb it. When the electric bill climbs, the car needs a repair, or an unexpected expense arrives, something has to give.
Too often, it's food.
Using the latest available federal data, Feeding America estimates that the number of food-insecure individuals in Northwest Arkansas has risen from 95,000 to more than 113,000. That's a 19% increase in just one year and means nearly one in five of our neighbors is experiencing food insecurity.
That's a number I wish I weren't sharing.
September is Hunger Action Month.
Throughout the month, you'll see our team wearing orange and buildings across Northwest Arkansas lit orange. Orange is the color of hunger awareness, meant to bring visibility to a challenge that is often hidden. I like that idea because hunger isn't always something we can see.
We see the broken air conditioner. We see the trip to the doctor. We see the car in the repair shop.
We don't see the groceries that weren't purchased because of them.
Those 113,000 people are seniors, children, working parents, friends, coworkers, and people we see every day.
That's why this month matters. It gives us a reason to talk about hunger and the many ways it shows up in the lives of our neighbors.
So this September, we'll wear orange. We'll tell the stories of our neighbors. We'll celebrate the more than 80 agency partners working every day to make food accessible across our region. And we'll invite Northwest Arkansas to be part of it.
Because when life delivers one of those bills that can't wait, food should still be there.
Thank you for your support! With your help, we are taking action against hunger.
Food is the Foundation.
-Taylor
