Today, whether you’re traveling, racing around your grocery store and kitchen, or just generally hurtling toward the Thanksgiving holiday, I hope you’ll take a moment to think about the people in America for whom Thanksgiving dinner is no celebration . According to Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, 49 million Americans live in food-insecure households. I don’t pretend to know how to fix the larger economic issues that have caused this situation, but the pressing issue at the moment is that people still need to eat.  That’s why I hope you’ll make a donation to your local food bank during this holiday season.

Feeding America (feedingamerica.org) is the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. You can donate to them directly, or to one of the local food banks all over the country that work with them. Here in the District of Columbia, the Capitol Area Food Bank serves the Washington metro area, and provides assistance to a network of more than 500 non-profit partners, distributing 45 million pounds of food annually – half of which is fresh produce.

Local artisans have joined with local restaurants and vendors in Washington to raise hunger awareness through the Empty Bowls program. For a $25 donation, people are invited to have a simple meal of soup and bread, provided by some of the best chefs in Washington, and they receive a beautiful pottery bowl of their choice, as a reminder of how they helped to fill empty bowls. Each bowl is unique and beautiful in its own way, like the sentiment behind it. There are Empty Bowls events all over the country, so keep an eye out for them. It’s a delicious way to do something nice for our fellow man.