Walk into any grocery store in the United States and you will find aisle after aisle bursting with every food imaginable. That type of abundance is completely out of reach in many parts of the world.
I've been thinking a lot about this disparity because today, August 8, people in many parts of the world are in the middle of the hungry season – the time between harvests when food runs dangerously low. In Mali and Niger, there's so little food that prices have skyrocketed. Millions of families in poverty already spend up to 80 percent of their income on food, leaving them with few options but to eat smaller meals, or fewer meals, until the next harvest arrives. If they survive until the next harvest. As a CARE supporter, I know that you care about the people who are going to bed hungry every night. That's why I'm asking you to take a pledge today to recognize the hungry season by pledging to skip a meal this month. By skipping a meal, you're standing in solidarity with the 870 million people who are currently hungry today – many of them women and children. Be sure to tell others why you're forgoing that meal – your skipped meal is a chance to spread the word about global hunger. Even a Facebook status update with a picture of an empty plate can help raise awareness! Thank you for standing with the world's most vulnerable people. Even if you're unable to skip a meal this month, I know you're committed to doing whatever you can to end the hungry season for good. So are thousands of CARE supporters just like you. Together, we're already making a difference for families around the world. 
Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH
President and CEO, CARE
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