07 Nov November: A note from our Executive Director

Homelessness and hunger are two things that I think about each and every day. As both a professional and a member of the community, I feel confronted by the injustice of hunger and homelessness far more often than I would like. On January 31 of this year, 246 of our neighbors in Montgomery County were homeless (Your Way Home Montgomery County). More than 72,000 residents of Montgomery County are food insecure and without regular access to enough nutritious food (Feeding America).

I know that you care about hunger and homelessness, too. While I’m sure it is very important to you, you probably aren’t preoccupied with it on a daily basis like I am. And that’s okay. That’s why the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness collaborated to create National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. This week is a time when all of us can come together to really focus on the people in our community who are experiencing hunger and homelessness—and to take action to make positive change.

National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is November 16-24 of this year. It takes place just before Thanksgiving, a time when many of us join with family and friends to celebrate and express gratitude all of life’s blessings. National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week reminds us that an important part of our spiritual mission on earth is to recognize and address the needs of our neighbors.

I invite you to join Inter-Faith Housing Alliance, Your Way Home, and other hunger and homelessness providers on Friday, November 22 at 10 am as we gather at the Montgomery County Courthouse (register here). Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, and others will speak about the importance of including all Montgomery County residents in the 2020 Census.

If you can’t make it on November 22, there are a few other things you could do instead:

– Organize a food drive at your workplace, school, or place of worship
– Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper
– Skip one meal out and donate your savings to our Food Cupboard

With gratitude for your commitment to ending hunger and homelessness,

Executive Director Marsha Eichelberger