<P> According to the Journal of Applied Geography, community gardens are most successful when they are developed using a bottom - up approach, in which community members are actively engaged from the start of the planning process . This empowers community members by allowing them to take complete ownership over the garden and make decisions about the food they grow . Community gardens are also beneficial because they allow community members to develop a better understanding of the food system, the gardening process, and healthy versus unhealthy foods . Community gardens thereby promote better consumption choices and allow community members to maintain healthier lifestyles . </P> <P> Despite the many advantages of community gardens, community members may face challenges in regard to accessing and securing land, establishing organization and ownership of the garden, maintaining sufficient resources for gardening activities, and preserving safe soils . </P> <P> The oldest type of formal hunger relief establishment used in the United States is believed to be the almshouse, but these are no longer in existence . In the 21st century, hunger relief agencies run by civil society include: </P> <Ul> <Li> Food pantries are the most numerous food aid establishment found within the United States . The food pantry hands out packages of grocery to the hungry . Unlike soup kitchens, they invariably give out enough food for several meals, which is to be consumed off the premises . A related establishment is the food closet, which serves a similar purpose to the food pantry, but will never be a dedicated building . Instead a food closet will be a room within a larger builder like a church or community center . Food closets can be found in rural communities too small to support a food pantry . Food pantries often have procedures to prevent unscrupulous people taking advantage of them, such as requiring registration . </Li> <Li> Soup kitchens, along with similar establishments like food kitchens and meal centers, provide hot meals for the hungry and are the second most common type of food aid agency in the U.S. Unlike food pantry, these establishments usually provide only a single meal per visit, but they have the advantage for the end user of generally providing food with no questions asked . </Li> <Li> The food bank is the third most common type of food aid agency . While some will give food direct to the hungry, food banks in the U.S. generally provide a warehouse like function, distributing food to front line agencies such as food pantries and soup kitchens . </Li> <Li> Food rescue organizations also perform a warehouse like function, distributing food to front line organizations, though they are less common and tend to operate on a smaller scale than do food banks . Whereas food banks may receive supplies from large growers, manufacturers, supermarkets and the federal government, rescue organizations typically retrieve food from sources such as restaurants along with smaller shops and farms . </Li> </Ul>

Number of starvation deaths in the united states