For those of us who work in the world of hunger and food security, it’s been hard to ignore the media and excitement around the release of the The Hunger Games film, based on the book by Suzanne Collins.  I myself am a fan of the series and am currently on the third book and plan on seeing the movie next week.  For those who don’t know, the Hunger Games is about a futuristic post-apocalyptic society where a totalitarian government called The Capitol controls the population through hunger and demands a tribute from each of its territories every year: two children to be used as gladiators in a televised fight to the death.  The prize? Food.  While this concept may be gruesome, the idea that remains relevant and relatable is the fear and consequences of hunger.  That being said, it is nice to see that fans are responding to the need of hungry people in the real world, and supporting groups like the Harry Potter Alliance as they harness the enthusiasm around stories such as this, and use it to fuel social change. Check out their website and read about the Hunger is Not a Game campaign and how it is teaming up with Oxfam’s GROW program to support effective international food aid, and encouraging folks here at home to support hungry in their community by hosting food drives and volunteering.  The Hunger Games has also teamed up with the World Food Programme and Feeding America – click here to take their Hunger Quiz to learn more about hunger at home and abroad.

And now for our own Hunger Challenge tributes!

Sue ended her week about $4 under budget but still let us know that this challenge was not easy.  She said that the experience opened up a lot of interesting conversations and made her think that those relying on food stamps in reality would get creative and use food banks and other resources.  However, supporting an entire family on a limited budget, she thought, would be much more difficult.

Liz and her family have a sweet tooth that would have been hard to ignore this week in favor of more  wholesome foods, so to get around the money issue she discovered a recipe for delicious, affordable saltine toffee (I’ve made it myself and I can’t deny it is delicious!).  Goes to show that everyone needs a treat once in a while.

Me and Jaggergirl were on the same wavelength, as she commented about the Hunger Games as well saying, “it does make me think that it might be a good idea to solve this food insecurity problem stat.”  She also brought to light a very intriguing exhibit currently at the Burke museum called Hungry Planet, which shines a light on different food cultures throughout the world.  It made her reflect about her own food culture, which resulted in quite a profound statement that “while food is a basic need, it is also deeply rooted in cultures around the world, and has meaning beyond sustenance.” Click here to see what other families around the world eat in an average week.

Leah and Sean had a successful day save for a sugar craving, and Hodo also managed to not buy any extra snacks at work.  However, she exhibited signs of being hangry, since, like me, she is an emotional eater instead of being able to use extra food to cope with stress, she was a little grumpy.  If it makes you feel any better, Hodo, I think your soup recipe looks great!  Thanks for sharing.

Full Circle Farm shared their thoughts on the Hunger Challenge, saying that a big box of Full Circle fruits and veggies is an affordable way to be healthy and get a little adventurous with your food.  Also KOMO came out with their best stories yet, with one about Community Kitchens Northwest, a program of United Way partner Seattle Tilth, led by dietician Leika Suzumura, who said that their afterschool classes “address hunger among children while teaching them cooking skills and knowledge to construct healthy food and lifestyle changes.”  KOMO also shared a recent price comparison study done by Seattle University students who found that “most vegetables sold at the market had lower if not comparable prices to their grocery store counterparts” – good news for our local markets, which also accept SNAP benefits, by the way.

All in all Hunger Action Week 2012 has been a great success.  The Hunger Challenge bloggers embraced the task and shared their experiences not only online but also got family, friends, and colleagues to join the convsersation.  They, and over 1600 other Hunger Action Week participants, did their part to learn more about hunger right here in King County and donated food, hosted dinner parties, volunteered, and advocated in an effort to build a Hunger Free King County.  We are all working toward the same goal, therefore we all need to work together – and I think this week showed us that it’s possible.  Thank-you so much for your participation.

-N