FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Capital Area Food Bank highlights the regional faces of food insecurity with “Hunger is Here” public service announcement campaign
New ad campaign to raise awareness on the presence of food insecurity in every zip code of the region
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Washington, D.C., September 26, 2023 – The Capital Area Food Bank on Tuesday launched a public service announcement campaign aimed at raising awareness about the one in three people facing hunger across the Greater Washington region.
The campaign includes video, print, radio, out-of-home and digital ads featuring four clients of the Capital Area Food Bank. The four clients represent the different ages, races, backgrounds and communities affected by food insecurity across our region. In each of the ads, a client describes their personal experience with hunger while viewers get a glimpse into their life. Audiences can hear their stories and learn more at HungerIsHere.org.
“Hunger exists in every single zip code and every part of our community,” said Radha Muthiah, president and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank. “When you have one in three people who is experiencing food insecurity, it means any of us could know someone who is struggling to put food on the table. Hunger has enormous impacts for our region in both the short and long term, and that’s why it’s essential that we raise awareness about this issue so that more members of our community can get involved in addressing this challenge.
The launch of the PSA campaign closely follows the release of the food bank’s fourth annual Hunger Report, which was published earlier this month. That report, which was produced with data gathered in partnership with independent social research organization NORC at the University of Chicago, provides a detailed look at the persistent and staggering scale of food insecurity and inequity across our area.
Featured in the ads are:
- Cheryl – Despite working all her life, 80-year-old Silver Spring resident Cheryl now faces the same hard choices as many other seniors in our area – including whether she can afford medication or food.
- Estella – A single mom of three in Chantilly, Estella is working and in school, juggling putting food on the table and trying to improve her family’s lives.
- Shauna – A native Washingtonian and Southeast DC resident, Shauna and her husband are raising children with special needs while trying to make ends meet.
- Chris – Fairfax-native Chris never expected to find himself facing hunger. Now in his early 30s and on the other side of hunger, he knows it can happen to anyone in our region.
“Hunger is here, and we need to address this, because everyone matters,” Chris says in the 30-second video spot.
Media outlets interested in airing the PSA ads can click here to access a media toolkit on the food bank’s website. The toolkit includes video and digital assets, as well as captions and images for social media.
WJLA-TV and Clear Channel Outdoor have generously committed donated ad space to promote the campaign and its message.
About the Capital Area Food Bank
The Capital Area Food Bank works to address hunger today and create brighter futures tomorrow for more than a million neighbors across the region experiencing food insecurity. As the anchor in the area’s hunger relief infrastructure, the food bank provided more than 50 million meals to people in need last year by supplying food to hundreds of nonprofit organizations, including Martha’s Table, SOME – So Others Might Eat, DC Central Kitchen, Food for Others, Manna Food Center, and others. It also works in partnership with organizations across the region to address hunger’s root causes by pairing food with critical services such as education, health care, and job training. To learn more, visit https://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/ or call (202.644.9864)