September is Hunger Action Month, a time to recognize the people and organizations working every day to ensure that our neighbors have access to nutritious food, essential resources, and the support they need to thrive.
Through The Shipyard’s agency-wide Day of Action, TURNER teams across the country marked the month through hands-on service, volunteering their time with organizations that address hunger, homelessness, food insecurity, and basic needs in their communities.
From Colorado to Florida, Illinois, Texas, and New York, TURNER employees rolled up their sleeves to make a difference.
In Miami, the team partnered with Camillus House for a casserole and sandwich collection benefiting people experiencing homelessness. The team helped collect and organize donations, label casseroles, and load everything onto the Camillus House truck. TURNER employees also baked two casseroles of their own to contribute. Together, the community collection included 203 turkey chili casseroles, with each casserole feeding approximately 10 people — more than 2,030 meals.
In Denver, TURNER spent several hours volunteering with Metro Caring, one of Colorado’s leading anti-hunger organizations. Metro Caring provides immediate access to nutritious and culturally relevant food while also working to address the root causes of hunger. TURNER volunteers worked in both the warehouse and grocery store, helping keep food stocked and organized so community members could access the resources they needed.
In Grand Junction, Colo., TURNER’s Stephanie Plieness volunteered with Justice Necessary, an organization dedicated to helping ensure Coloradans have access to critical hygiene essentials that programs such as WIC and SNAP do not cover. Justice Necessary works to provide everyday necessities that can have an enormous impact on a person’s ability to work, attend school, access childcare, and maintain their health and dignity.
In Chicago, TURNER volunteered with Nourishing Hope, which has served the community for more than 50 years. The organization provides nutritious food through walk-in food pantries, an online market, home delivery, and programs connecting food access with health and nutrition support. TURNER’s participation helped support an organization committed to making nutritious food available in ways that preserve dignity, flexibility, and choice for Chicagoans.
In Austin, TURNER volunteers headed outdoors to the garden at Central Texas Food Bank. The team helped care for fresh produce, supporting the food bank’s efforts to make nutritious food more accessible throughout Central Texas. The Central Texas Food Bank works through direct-service programs and a network of nearly 250 nonprofit community partners, supporting more than 610,000 food-insecure individuals annually.
In New York City, TURNER partnered with New York Cares to deliver lunch to senior residents in Midtown and on the Upper West Side. Beyond providing a meal, the effort supported seniors who are working to remain independent in their own homes.
The team also helped out at the Westside Campaign Against Hunger Center, aiding in their ongoing mission to serve people and improve the emergency food system in NYC; the Center distributes 100,000 pounds of food weekly.