World Food Day is on October 16th, a day on which the hunger of millions is brought to our attention.

Why is it important you should support the World Hunger movement? Well the issue is closer to home than you think. It is easy to stereotype hunger as a problem only existing in third world countries; it is even simpler to excuse yourself from the responsibility to help those far away individuals.

However, DoSomething.org states that 49 million Americans struggle to eat proper meals due to their inability to pay. That is 1 in 6 people whose wellbeing is put a risk for something we take for granted and indulge in.

So look around you, national statistics say that 166 of Nashoba’s students are at risk of malnutrition as a result of poverty. This may not be the case, but it brings the issue into perspective and incites motivation to support the fight against hunger.

What can you do? There are many opportunities to volunteer locally that are listed on VolunteerMatch.org (http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/index.jspbut). For those who are not able to put high effort into the cause, there is a simple and fun way to help feed others and benefit your education at Freerice.com.

Free Rice is a non-profit website that is owned by and supports the United Nations World Food Program. Those who are about to take the SATs take special notice! Free Rice provides SAT prep and studying tools for many subjects. For every question you answer correctly, Free Rice will donate rice grains to the World Food Program. These grains add up quickly, and soon your studying will feed many individuals.

So as a student body, consider World Food Day as a wake up call to the matter of hunger internationally and locally. You can make a difference!