Nobody has been untouched by the coronavirus pandemic. Like so many out there, I have had to choose between career and family. Leaving my work as a teacher was difficult, but I have been so blessed by good health and fortunate that my family has never gone without food on the table.

However this is not the case for so many of our fellow Americans. Hunger and food insecurity were already a problem in our nation, but due to the pandemic, they have reached crisis levels. According to projections made by researchers from Feeding America, 1 in 6 Americans could be facing food insecurity. This is an increase of 13.2 million people since 2018. 1 in 4 American children, that’s 17 million kids, do not know if they will have enough food to sustain their growing bodies. Because of the pandemic 5.8 million more children are hungry, and more parents are out of jobs and out of a means to nourish their babies (1). A year after the first cases were reported, the pandemic rages still, and vast economic hardships persist.

In addition to the horrific physical and financial toll Covid-19 has wreaked on our nation, the psychological costs to our people have been devastating. We have been cautioned to remain inside, to distance ourselves from others in hopes of protecting all. Yet in so doing a second evil, a looming sense of powerlessness and despair, has taken root. We have felt powerless against the onslaught of disease, social turmoil, political unrest, and financial upheaval that has ravaged the country like a roaming horde of vigilantes.

However, if we ever hope to have a better future for ourselves and our children, we cannot remain bystanders as our nation suffers. We must find a way, despite lockdowns, social distancing, and our own feelings of powerlessness to safely reach out and help our fellow Americans who are suffering. So in this third month of 2021, I am going to take a stand and March Against Hunger. My efforts alone will barely matter, but together I believe we can make a difference for those who are suffering from hunger and food insecurity.

Here’s what we can do:

All month long, I’ll be baking bread every day and donating the loaves to those in need. Then I will post pictures of my donated loaves on instagram along with facts about hunger and food insecurity. To join the march you can:

1. Raise Awareness: if you follow me on Instagram, reshare my daily posts to spread the word about hunger. You can also share the March Against Hunger campaign with those you know. The more people participating, the greater the impact we can have!

2. Bake and Give: it doesn’t have to be fancy; baking a loaf of bread, wether a quick bread or a yeasted loaf, is a way to provide fresh nourishment and love to those in need. Do please call ahead to find out which local shelters or soup kitchens can receive home baked goods; some cannot due to local regulations or Covid-19 precautions. If you cannot find an organization for donating your bread, go straight to the source. Find a friend or person who could use the love of a homemade loaf. I’ll try to keep a tally of the number of loaves we donate, so be sure to upload a picture to instagram and mention @ambersinthebakehouse.

3. Donate Funds: to donate to my Feeding America fundraiser, click here. You will be redirected to the Feeding America website. Click on the orange “Donate” button and proceed from there.

Thank you to all for visiting my site, reading my words, and supporting this cause!

1. Hake, Monica et al. “The Impact of the Coronavirus on Food Insecurity in 2020.” Feeding America, 30 Oct. 2020, www.feedingamerica.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/Brief_Local%20Impact_10.2020_0.pdf. Accessed 25 Feb. 2021.