Twenty five percent of all the people who eat out of an emergency food program are children.

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Seventy percent of people getting food from food cabinets work part- or full-time.

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Those two tidbits glared out at me like no others when Rollie Lobsinger of South Coast Food Share and Hallie Winchell of Oregon Coast Community Action came to the office last week to discuss Hunger Awareness Week and all the activities the groups have planned.

See the accomanying schedule of events for Hunger Awareness Week, which begins on June 21 and continues until June 28.

There are events throughout Coos and Curry counties, and all major cities in the region have proclaimed June 21-28 as Hunger Awareness Week.

In a time of increasing food prices and skyrocketing fuel costs, more and more individuals and families are struggling harder than ever to make ends meet.

One of the big fundraisers for this effort is a program called Dinner and a Movie.

During the week of June 21-28, some of your favorite local restaurants (see list above) will be holding a special event.

On those dates, the restaurants will donate a percentage of their sales to benefit South Coast Food Share. They will also sell tickets to “Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets,” to be shown at 7 p.m. on June 28 at the Egyptian Theatre.

Tickets for the movie are $5 and will be available at all 10 of the participating restaurants during the week.

U.S. Bank has sponsored the movie, so all proceeds from tickets sales for the movie go to feed the hungry.

OCCA plans to make “Dinner and a Movie” an annual event during Hunger Awareness Week.

“Every year we can choose which program receives the funds we raise,” Winchell said. “This year  it will go to help Food Share.

“People can go to restaurants they already enjoy and help the Food Share. This (event) wouldn’t have been possible without the restaurants, they’ve been great.”