September marks Hunger Action Month and the Department of Agriculture is bringing awareness to food insecurity in the state.
State Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding says this month is important to help recognize a problem that is ever-present, but sometimes is hard to identify.
“We tackle this issue everyday. We focus on it in September as Hunger Action Month, but we also know it’s all around us,” Redding said. “It’s hard to recognize the face of hunger. It could be a child, a grandparent, or a college student. They’re all around us.”
Redding says in addition to increased funding for programs that help fight hunger, there’s also examples like the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System that can help people access food.
Since its inception, the system has distributed more than 23 million pounds in surplus food from famers to residents here in Pennsylvania.