Alleviating Hunger in America or Not?

As I scan the news related to hunger in America, the list of companies and brands supporting the issue seems to be growing each day. Just within the past 72 hours the headlines read: New Study Estimates $21.3 Billion Food Budget Shortfall for Americans at Risk of Hunger, Nick Cannon Teams Up with Feeding America & Campbell Soup, Walmart Foundation Donates $5 Million to Fight Senior Hunger, Food Giant ConAgra Launches Child Hunger Campaign and the list goes on. Additionally, food shortages across the country are threatening local food pantries of which 37 million Americans depend on today. 

While the donation of food is an absolute necessity, I can’t help but think about what is truly needed to solve this pressing societal issue. Bill Shore, founder and executive director of Share Our Strength said it best, “…the goal must go beyond merely encouraging more corporate philanthropy. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Corporate America’s real power lies in what pioneering social entrepreneur Gary Mulhair has called “operationalizing” their philanthropy. This means acting to ensure that business practices, from the sourcing that goes into supply chain to product development and marketing strategies reflect their philanthropic values and actually advance them.” If companies truly want to alleviate hunger in America, food donations must be supplemented with sincere anti-hunger commitments.   Read more about what companies are doing to address the issue of hunger here...   ABOUT MSLGROUP MSLGROUP (mslgroup.com), the Publicis Groupe’s flagship specialty communications, PR and events network, is one of the world's top five PR and events networks. MSL’s offices span 22 countries and cover virtually every discipline required for clients to engage creatively with their audiences in real time. MSL offers clients insight-guided thinking and big, compelling ideas - followed by thorough execution. With the bottom line always the driving force, MSL ensures a return on engagement and a return on marketing investment.    MSL12634