In the classic cartoon, “Winnie The Pooh and The Honey Tree,” Pooh Bear sings of his love for honey to satisfy his hunger, what he calls a “rumbly in my tumbly.”

But for more than 58,000 people in the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo region, hunger isn’t a happy song; it’s a daily question mark. That’s the number of residents that don’t know where their next meal is coming from. More than 17,000 of those individuals are children.

October is World Hunger Action Month, a time when we’re challenged to better understand the impact of food insecurity and take steps to help others get the nutrition they need.

Some key facts from Feeding America:

• Food insecurity afflicts one of every seven households in the United States, including one of every four African-American and Latino households.
• Children unable to eat well experience delayed development, health issues and learning difficulties.
• Senior citizens without regular access to quality food experience higher rates of depression, heart attack, asthma and other conditions. 

While hunger and food insecurity fall into United Way’s health focus, it’s an issue with a much broader reach. Unstable income contributes to it, and learning suffers when people—especially children—go  hungry. That’s why United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region partners with area agencies to tackle it in a variety of ways. Here are just a few examples:

• Food distribution to pantries, distribution sites, schools, individuals and families (Food Bank of South Central Michigan, South County Community Center, Portage Community Center, Salvation Army, Sprout Urban Farms, Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, and more);
• Daily meals for low-income families, homeless individuals and home-bound senior citizens (Ministry With Community, Salvation Army, Senior Services)

• Healthy meals and snacks for children, along with education on healthy eating habits (Boys and Girls Club, Altrusa Day Nursery, SNAP Inc., Family Enrichment Center);
• Breakfast In The Classroom, a pilot program to provide daily morning activities and breakfast service to elementary school students (partnership with Battle Creek Public Schools, Battle Creek Community Foundation, Kellogg Company and United Way);
• Referrals for individuals and families to local food pantries and meal programs (2-1-1 Call Centers). 

In 2013, an estimated 4.25 million pounds of food were provided to hungry families and individuals in the region through United Way supported programs. (See our scorecard for details on this and other areas of impact.)

Meanwhile, UWBCKR and its regional partners are looking at ways to collectively address the root causes of hunger and food insecurity. When the “rumblies” cease for all, the positive impact across our community will be as sweet as honey.