"This Is Hunger" Interactive Exhibit to Visit Downtown Fayetteville in July

Courtesy of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – “This Is Hunger,” a touring community engagement program and exhibit will set up near the downtown Fayetteville square from Saturday, July 22, through Wednesday, July 26.

The walk-through, interactive experience takes visitors on a journey to increase their understanding of hunger in America and to engage them in activities that advocate for change.

The exhibit will be set up in the parking lot at Center Street and Church Avenue, across from Fayetteville City Hall. Free ticket reservations and tour times are available here.

The exhibit is sponsored by MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, a national advocacy organization whose mission is to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel.

“This Is Hunger” is visiting Fayetteville as part of a collaboration with the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas School of Law. The exhibit will arrive during the initiative’s Native Youth in Food and Agriculture Summer Leadership Summit, and summit students will visit the exhibit to understand how the food insecurity issues they confront in Native communities fit into the greater struggle for national and international food security.

“Hunger and lack of reliable access to food is the day-to-day reality for many Native communities across the United States,” said Janie Hipp, director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Iniative. “The faces of hunger in the U.S. are quite diverse, are primarily our children, elders and those with disabilities. They are our working families whose income doesn’t afford them reliable food sources.  This generation, like generations past, must decide how or if it will feed its people.”

“This Is Hunger” features black and white portraits and stories of dozens of Americans who have had difficulty putting enough nutritious food on the table each day. Digital and hands-on activities take participants on a compelling journey that draws them into the real-life circumstances of these people, deepening awareness of who in America struggles with hunger and why. Visitors are then encouraged to educate others and advocate for change.

“While millions of Americans struggle with hunger every day, the reality of hunger in America is still largely invisible,” said Abby Leibman, MAZON’s president and CEO. “We’re humanizing food insecurity in a way that no anti-hunger organization has done before. The immersive elements take the experience of learning people’s stories to a deeper level than what news articles or standard photo gallery exhibitions can usually accomplish.”

“This Is Hunger” is housed in a 53-foot-long double expandable semitrailer. When parked and opened on both sides, it provides nearly 1,000 square feet of exhibit space. The outside of the trailer is wrapped with phrases collected from the profile interviews, turning the trailer into a mobile public service announcement as it travels the nation’s highways.

The exhibit was launched in Los Angeles Nov. 16, 2016, and will continue its 10-month national tour, stopping in more than 30 cities in and around Phoenix, Tucson, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, Washington, D.C., New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland, St. Louis, Kansas City, Chicago, San Francisco, Tulsa and Fayetteville.

For a complete list of nationwide tour dates and locations and more information about “This Is Hunger,” visit thisishunger.org.

About MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger
Founded in 1985, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger is a leading nonprofit advocacy organization working to end hunger among people of all faiths and backgrounds in the United States and Israel. For more information, please visit mazon.org.