Two important community celebrations occur in September: Hunger Action Month and National Food Safety Month.

Hunger Action Month is a call to action from Feeding America, asking community members to volunteer and/or donate to their local food bank.  Feed America states, “Hunger Action Month is your opportunity to join a movement that has a real and lasting impact on our effort to feed more Americans than ever before.”  Learn more by visiting the Hunger Action Month website.

National Food Safety Month (NFSM) was established in 1994 to bring awareness about food safety education.  Each year the National Restaurant Association creates a new theme (#LetItFlow2015) and a multitude of educational tools (free training activities, infographics, videos, and posters).

At ICMA food security and safety is one of our main national and international concerns.  You can find numerous resources that are in alignment with the goals of both September celebrations by checking out the healthy living and food security topic pages on the Knowledge Network.  Here are a few examples of those resources:

1. In 2012, Michigan State University’s Center for Regional Food Systems and ICMA's Center for Sustainable Communities collaborated to understand more about the ways that local governments are supporting local food systems.  This report is a compilation of the subsequent case studies done in four communities. 
2. Connect Montgomery—a civic collaboration in Montgomery, Ohio—took a new approach to help end hunger in the community by developing the Montgomery Food Share. Montgomery Food Share has developed a sustainable approach by having its neighborhood recruiters ask their neighbors to become long-term food donors versus asking only for a one-time donation. Learn more by reading this article or checking out Connect Montgomery’s webpage: http://connectmontgomery.org/montgomery-food-share/.
3. This post from the Sustainable Communities blog provides a great list of social media resources that can help end hunger and promote food safety in your community.

How is your community celebrating these September events?  Share your stories below.

Douglas Shontz

Knowledge Network Intern