November 12th marks the start of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (HHAW), a very important week for the entire country. A national week in North America where participating organizations hold educational and advocacy events to raise awareness about issues of hunger, food insecurity, poverty, homelessness, and so much more. It's a week to give back to your community in any way possible. If you haven't been involved before, HHAW is the time to take part in creating positive change in your area.

You might think Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is just like any other awareness movement in the United States. Some people post on Instagram about how important it is and then the week is over.

But this is not the case. HHAW is much more than a "holiday" celebrated on social media. In fact, it's not for celebrating at all.

Anywhere you go in the United States, there are people who struggle to find their next meal or a place to stay at night. While you may not be aware of this or choose not to acknowledge, these issues exist in your neighborhood, too. If something so prevalent in this country practically exists in your backyard, you should care about it.

That's why HHAW is so important. Simply because people don't care.

But it's time to start caring. Food and shelter are basic necessities and should, therefore, be basic human rights. However, so many people in this country don't have at least one of these on a regular basis. A little under 600,000 people are homeless in the United States every night. 1 in 6 people in the United States are food insecure or aren't sure about their next meal.

With these statistics, we might start to understand just how huge these issues are and why we should care about them at all. With these statistics, we should start thinking about what we can do to make a difference.

So what are you going to do during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week?

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Volunteer at your local homeless shelter or food bank.

2. Host a food drive in your community.

3. Get your friends together and spread the word. Create signs with statistics about hunger and homelessness and hang them up around your town.

4. Protest/lobby for better policies in your local government.

5. Volunteer to teach at a local elementary school about hunger and homelessness.

6. Host a documentary screening and discussion to raise awareness in your community.

7. Search for the extra food in your home that no one is eating and donate it to a local food bank.

These are just a few of many great ideas for ways to get involved and spread the word. While some are certainly easier than others, any little action can make a difference in someone's life. The more people you engage in the movement, the better.

Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week only takes place once a year. This is your opportunity to show that you care and to make a positive change. So, with that said, what will you do?