Get involved in the fight against hunger during Hunger Action Month

In Cook County, 1 in 6 people receives food from a pantry, soup kitchen or shelter. That's more than 812,000 annually. Awareness is critical in the fight to end hunger.

During Hunger Action Month this September, the Greater Chicago Food Depository is encouraging those in Cook County to raise awareness and take action. There are a number of ways to get involved:

Go orange to show your support of hunger-relief.
Change your social media profile picture to the image above during the month of September to raise awareness for the issue of hunger in our community. Or, wear orange to show your support.

Step into the shoes of someone who's hungry. Take the SNAP Challenge.
The SNAP Challenge asks participants to live on just $35 of food for a week - the average weekly SNAP benefit for an individual in Illinois. The Challenge highlights the difficult decisions many in our community must make every day as they struggle to afford food. Read the SNAP Challenge guidelines.

Sign the Social Donation Plate
Visit thedonationplate.org and join Chicago sports teams and celebrities in the fight against hunger by signing their virtual donation plate or by starting your own. Then, pass it to friends on social media to spread the word and help fill the plates of hungry men, women and children in our community.

These are just a few ways to take action during Hunger Action Month. Visit chicagosfoodbank.org/HAM to find more ways to get involved.

Interactive Story Map: The summer Lunch Bus

Click above to view an interactive Story Map that follows the Lunch Bus across Cook County.

This summer, the Greater Chicago Food Depository's Lunch Bus traveled three different routes throughout Cook County, delivering nearly 1,000 nutritious meals to children in need every weekday.

The Southwest City route takes the Lunch Bus through Cicero, South Lawndale, Mckinley Park, West Englewood and more. At each stop, there are stories to tell. There is joy, as children laugh, eat and play together. There are also children in need and families who struggle to make ends meet.

This interactive Story Map captures one day of distributing summer meals along the Southwest City Lunch Bus route, with different stories, quotes and insight from each stop. Click the picture above to view the Story Map.

For more information about the Lunch Bus or the Food Depository's response to summer hunger, or to find summer meal sites, visit chicagosfoodbank.org.