When women get together for a good cause, great things can happen. Dallas mommy blogger Laura Thornquist turned her local women’s association meeting into a Child Hunger Ends Here Neighborhood Rally. In addition to collecting cans and funds, the group discussed the issue of child hunger within their local school district and came up with simple ways they could each make a difference. “This event was about food, fun, friendship and a community effort to help those in need,” said Thornquist. Sometimes just starting the conversation about ending child hunger can lead to actions that make a huge impact.
Click here to see her personal video with footage of the event.
25th August 2010
Inside Look: How Food Banks Help Our Communities
The St. Louis Area Foodbank serves hungry men, women and children in 14 counties in eastern Missouri and 12 counties in southwestern Illinois. With the help of donors and volunteers, the food bank distributed more than 20 million pounds of food in 2009. In this video, you’ll meet the organization’s communications manager, Ryan Farmer, and see how this Feeding America facility supports those in need in the Show-Me state. Visit Feeding America to find how you can get involved in your area.
Notes: 1
An article from Time Magazine discusses how going hungry is a major contributor to ill health, particularly among children, and now a new report from the National Cancer Institute reveals how long-lasting the damage can be.
Lead author of the study, Sharon Kirkpatrick, explains: “The research really pushes us to look at the impact that various policy interventions on food insecurity can have on health,” says Kirkpatrick. “It’s unacceptable that in countries like the U.S. and Canada, we’re talking about millions of children living in households with uncertain food access.”
Families with young mouths to feed have limited options when it comes to obtaining food.
Not all people who go hungry are homeless or even jobless. Many parents and caregivers who need assistance do not meet the poverty standards established by their state and cannot receive government aid.
Soup kitchens are often difficult to get to for parents who work multiple jobs or have limited transportation. The fact is that these parents lack the resources to provide the proper nutrition and adequate calories for their kids.
Check out this exercise courtesy of the San Francisco Food Bank to see how you would feed your family if you were in someone else’s shoes.
Take a moment to read a blog post from Child Hunger Ends Here blogger correspondent Laurie from My Dallas Mommy.
Unbroken and Resilient
A guest post from entertainer Katharine McPheeAs I wrote songs for my album “Unbroken,” what came out were tales of resilience… people who are bowed – but not broken – by the experiences and trials life throws at them. Now, a new project is allowing me to meet many of these real unbroken souls in person. I’m amazed by their spirit and touched by their stories.
I have been a part of the Feeding America Entertainment Council for more than a year now. When I learned that childhood hunger was such a critical problem right here in the United States, I knew I wanted to help. Then, when I found out that 17 million children struggle with hunger during the summer when school is out, I knew I had to help now.
I am honored to be working with the ConAgra Foods Foundation and Feeding America to launch the Hunger-Free Summer initiative. One of the goals of Hunger-Free Summer is to help ensure that kids at risk of hunger have access to nutritious meals year round. So, while school may be out for summer, lunch is always in session.
This summer I am traveling across the country to Feeding America food banks from Orlando to Los Angeles. I’m volunteering my time and doing my best to bring more attention to fact that there are children in need. Last week, I visited New Image Youth Center in Orlando, Fla. New Image is a summer feeding location supported by the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, which received a Hunger-Free Summer grant to support summer food locations in Orlando. I helped serve lunch and even wrote a song with the kids. I enjoyed spending time with the kids and was amazed to realize how much good can come from a kind word and a nutritious meal. This is something every child deserves.
Yesterday, I visited Irvine, Calif. (just outside my hometown of Los Angeles!) and tomorrow I’ll visit Little Rock, Ark. I can’t wait to share more photos and stories as my journey continues. More importantly, I can’t wait to hear how you’re getting involved in the fight against child hunger.
- Camera: Canon EOS-1D Mark III
- Aperture: f/2.8
- Exposure: 1/160th
- Focal Length: 43mm
Reblogged From hungrytohelp
Molly from The Snyder 5 talks about donating the money she raised for the Child Hunger Ends Here program benefiting Feeding America.
As many of you know, ConAgra Foods launched a nationwide Child Hunger Ends Here Neighborhood Rally campaign in March to raise awareness about the issue of childhood hunger in the United States, as well as raise money for Feeding America, the nation’s leading hunger-relief organization. Since the kick-off, the campaign has brought people from across the country together to feed those who cannot feed themselves. The realization that 17 million children in America struggle with hunger has led to incredible efforts by celebs, business owners and everyday Americans doing whatever they can to help. Here are just a few highlights of the Child Hunger Ends Here movement so far:
Kick-off Celebrity Rally on the Famous Wisteria Lane – the set of “Desperate Housewives”
Campaign spokesperson Dana Delany, one of the stars of ABC’s hit series “Desperate Housewives,” used the set of the iconic neighborhood as the backdrop to help promote the Child Hunger Ends Here Neighborhood Rally campaign. Other Hollywood icons joined the fight by attending the kick-off event, including David Arquette, Kathy Ireland, Melissa Rivers, Andrea Bowen and Trevor Donovan. Celebs donated personal items and autographed loot that day, which were auctioned off online and resulted in a donation of more than $7,200 to Feeding America.
Bloggers on Board
In an effort to drive the issue of child hunger home on a local level, ConAgra Foods partnered with fourteen bloggers from across the country to support the campaign through their online platforms. In addition to posting information on their websites, each blogger hosted a Child Hunger Ends Here Neighborhood Rally in their hometowns to set an example of just how easy and fun it is to get involved in the cause.
City-wide Proclamations
In addition, local mayor’s office across the country recognized the issue of child hunger in a big way by proclaiming an official “Child Hunger Ends Here” days in their respective cities. Nearly 14 cities from Naperville, IL to Atlanta, GA to Dallas, TX have joined the effort to help end child hunger in the U.S.
Getting Involved
To date, hundreds of rallies have been registered in the name of Child Hunger Ends Here and even more are anticipated over the coming months. However, we need your help to sustain the momentum. There is still time to host a rally of your own. Through July 31, you can turn a bake sale, church rummage sale, food drive, yard sale or other existing community events into a Child Hunger Ends Here
Neighborhood Rally by donating some or all event proceeds to Feeding America. And, all money collected through a direct online donation to Feeding America and food donated locally will stay in your local community. It’s difficult to believe that nearly 17 million kids in this country don’t get enough food to live active lives. It’s an issue that can’t be solved individually, but by rallying our friends and neighbors and taking a stand that child hunger ends here, we can make a difference.
Learn more at www.childhungerendshere.com.
