No Kid Hungry
I am sitting here eating breakfast as I write this post. This week is National School Breakfast Week. You are probably snacking or drinking some coffee while you read this… I want you to consider this…
More than 16 million kids in America live in households that struggle to put food on the table.
Let me put 16 million kids into perspective. 16 million kids will fill over 845 basketball arenas. 16 million kids equates to 1 in 5 children.
- That child who doesn’t have enough to eat isn’t going to do as well in school.
- And is likely to get sick more often.
- She’s less likely to graduate from high school and go on to college, which will have a negative impact on her economic future.
- If this happens, then twenty years from now, she’s much less likely to be able to earn enough to feed her family.
The good news is…. this is completely fixable!
The No Kid Hungry campaign has three parts:
- Access
- Education
- Awareness
But, what does that mean to you?
Access… The No Kid Hungry program is connecting children to nutrition programs like school breakfasts and summer meals. The No Kid Hungry network is comprised of private citizens, government officials, non-profit organizations, business leaders, and many others that are working together in their communities to provide solutions to getting healthy food to hungry kids.
Education… The No Kid Hungry program helps to educate and empower low-income families on how to stretch their limited food budgets so kids can get healthy meals at home as well. This program–Cooking Matters– helps teach families to shop strategically, understand nutritional information, make healthier food choices, and to cook delicious and inexpensive meals.
Awareness… The No Kid Hungry program is helping to create a powerful group of individuals and partnerships that is advocating policy changes in the crisis of childhood hunger.
Take the pledge today to end childhood hunger.
So, how can you get involved?
Advocate…
- Write your elected officials
- Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper
- Share your story.
- Help get the word out and advocate for healthy breakfasts at your local schools.
Spread the Word…
- Use your Facebook status for one day to promote No Kid Hungry to help raise awareness.
- Sign the pledge to end childhood hunger.
- Watch the Food Network’s documentary “Hunger Hits Home.” (Online)
In Your Community…
- Share with your community how your local schools offer breakfasts.
- Volunteer to help families learn about healthy cooking.
- Make a monetary donation to No Kid Hungry. (Make sure you check to see if your company matches donations!)
- Host a Great American Bake Sale.
- Lead a Cooking Matters demonstration or other Cooking Matters activities in your community.
- Turn a birthday party or other event into a fundraiser for No Kid Hungry.
- Volunteer or attend a local culinary event.
- Volunteer for Shopping Matters demonstrations and tours in your local grocery stores.
Giving…
- One-time donation.
- Monthly giving.
- Employer match programs.
- Stock donations and bequeath giving.
- Gift to honor someone or in memory of.
- Fundraisers.
Are your schools already offering breakfasts? Make a call and get your school and community on the map! No Kid Hungry is aiming for 10,000 schools on the “map” by March 31! Check out this website for an infographic and more information.
If you need help or know someone who does, please call 1-866-3HUNGRY or click here.
I wrote this post as part of The Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of members of Mom Bloggers for Social Good that concentrates on issues involving women and girls, children, world hunger and maternal health.
Our Motto: Individually we are all powerful. Together we can change the world. We believe in the power of collective action to help others and believe in ourselves to make this world a better place for our children and the world’s children.
All information used with permission.
