September means the kids are back in school, football is on television, and fall will finally arrive – although it is likely we will still have summer temperatures on the first official day of autumn).

September is also Hunger Action Month, a month established to raise awareness about hunger in the United States.

(Fact No. 1: More 16 million children in the U.S. live in households experiencing food insecurity. Fact No. 2: You can help.)

On my blog this month, I’ve shared quite a few ideas and ways to get involved during Hunger Action Month to raise awareness and support organizations working toward the goal of ending hunger, particularly childhood hunger. I also often write about Help the Children and the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry, two local organizations that do lots of good work to assist families in the Santa Clarita Valley that may be struggling to put meals on the table.

As part of Hunger Action Month, several restaurants – hundreds across the U.S., in fact – have joined forces with Share Our Strength to be a part of the solution. Through Dine Out, getting involved is as simple as going out for dinner (or lunch) – something you might already be planning to do this weekend or perhaps one day next week for a lunch outing with a friend or a lunch meeting.

Last year, Corner Bakery alone raised about $300,000 during September through Dine Out. They’re participating again this year and are one of the many places in the Santa Clarita Valley where you can Dine Out. Last year, I went there a couple of times, donated $1 and received a coupon for a free Whoopie Pie. I call that a win-win.

To make it simple, I want to let you know about restaurants in the SCV that are participating in Dine Out this month, to help make it even easier for you.

Besides Corner Bakery, other participating eateries include Denny’s, Togo’s, The Elephant Bar, Mimi’s Cafe and Macaroni Grill. Hopefully, next year this list will be even longer. Also, in case you’re thinking of heading to Ventura this weekend – perhaps to get away from the heat or to enjoy the beach – Joe’s Crab Shack and Bandits’ Grill & Bar are also participating.

Heading somewhere else for the weekend? Just go to dineout.nokidhungry.org and click on Find Restaurants, where you can enter any ZIP code or city and see which restaurants are participating.

If you are a restaurant or franchise owner who would like to be involved with Dine Out next year, please contact me at jennifer@thinktenmediagroup.com and I will connect you with someone at Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry to help you get involved. It is a truly wonderful way to make a difference.

If dining out isn’t the think for you, consider making a donation of money or food items at one of the local food pantries or even volunteering some time to help. Remember, even a single dollar can make a difference.

For those of you who saw my Coffee Can Challenge, here’s the update: We already have about $20, and that is just from collecting our own spare change all month. (A few people have seen the can and added their change, too). For even more ways to get involved, I shared 10 ideas at MulticulturalKidBlogs.com recently, so you can check that out, as well.

Already involved? I’d love to hear what you’ve been doing for Hunger Action Month. Please pop over to The Good Long Road on Facebook or Moms Fighting Hunger on Facebook and share.

Jennifer Fischer is co-founder of the SCV Film Festival, a mom of two, an independent filmmaker and owner of Think Ten Media Group, whose Generation Arts division offers programs for SCV youth. She writes about her parenting journey on her blog, The Good Long Road. Her commentary is published Saturdays on SCVNews.com.