World Food Day: Join the WFD movement and help end world hunger

In an effort to raise awareness about hunger, poverty and malnutrition, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched World Food Day (WFD) at its General Conference back in 1979. WFD is an annual, worldwide event observed by 150 nations each October 16.

As many Americans enjoy a fabulous meal with friends and family, we often forget about those less fortunate. Did you know more than one billion people around the world are chronically hungry? One billion people! And with high unemployment and a bad economy, those numbers will likely worsen.

From food and housing to gasoline, the cost of just about everything is skyrocketing – except wages. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 40 million Americans lived in poverty and 4.8 million households accessed “emergency food” from a food pantry at least once in 2008. And the rising cost of food “pushed nearly 70 million people into extreme poverty” in 2010-2011, according to the World Bank. The numbers are staggering.

Please get involved and make a difference in someone's life. On a lighter note October 16 is also National Feral Cat Day, National Dictionary Day and National Liqueur Day.