hunger free summer Archives

Still Time to Help Children Have a Hunger-Free Summer #HungerFreeSummer

July 19, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

I see the school supplies are already out in all the stores and it means that for some of us summer is almost over. Some kids will be heading back to school in mid to early August and the rest of them will be going anytime between then and September second which is when my go back. However, that’s still four to six weeks of children that are out of school and without meals. I know it seems crazy that in America we have this problem but we do. Children that have free or reduced lunches at school aren’t getting lunch during the summer.

I’m working with ConAgra and the Motherhood to help share information with you so you can help end Childhood Hunger and support a Hunger-Free summer. ConAgra Foods has made fighting child hunger part of its culture. Half of the ConAgra Foods Foundation’s $10 million commitment to Feeding America is dedicated to summer hunger support. The program – now in its fourth year – has supported the delivery of more than 2.5 million meals and snacks to children struggling with hunger over the summer. This summer, 29 food banks in 20 states will use Hunger-Free Summer grants – ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 – to overcome barriers.

Chris O’Donnell has five children and he feels this responsibility as anyone with children does. Children should not go hungry. If you remember from my post earlier this summer, I shared with you the video he created and that just by watching this video you’re helping a child receive a meal. So watch the video below and share it with friends. You could have a video viewing party. As part of the viewing party, educate attendees about the importance of child hunger awareness, particularly during the summer months. You should also show it to your children. It’s important to raise awareness to them so they know how important it is to help others and so they know how fortunate they are. Join in the fight against child hunger by spreading the word, volunteering, and advocating for the cause.

End the battler, Hunger ends here!

Seattle Food LifeLine is Working Hard To End Child Hunger #HungerFreeSummer

July 17, 2012 by Momstart 29 Comments

Last week I attended a small event where I learned quite a bit about how Food Lifeline is working to end child hunger in Seattle. No I take that back, they are working hard in all parts of Western Washington. They move more food than I ever could have imagined in just one day and food banks can order food like they were ordering from Amazon and it will be boxed up and ready for them to pick it up. Food Lifeline serves 17 counties and distributes more than 35 million pounds of food each year, the equivalent of more than 27 million meals, to a member network of nearly 300 local food banks, shelters and meal programs. Of the 745,000 people the food bank serves, 35% are children. You can help by volunteering or by downloading the Hunger Avengers Activity Booklet you can educate your children about the issue and ConAgra Foods will donate a meal to Feeding America.

What they are doing for children is very exciting. They are starting a program in our area called a kid’s café. It’s amazing what they are doing, they are providing healthy options for these kids in Washington to eat. I’m so excited about that because I feel like most food that is donated to food banks is not exactly healthy it’s convenient. The Food Life Line organization actually received organic food and fresh food to give out to families in need. Food Lifeline recently received a $20,000 Hunger-Free Summer grant to help further expand its summer feeding program — offering more children access to meals during the critical summer months. The grant has helped Food Lifeline launch a pilot Kids Café where children can receive free meals in Index, WA in rural Snohomish County with the goal of further expanding to additional sites. The Kids Café operates three days a week and anticipates up to 50 children each day.

I also learned that in our area people are ashamed of being unable to feed their children. I mean, I would be ashamed too, so I understand how they feel, but how do we change that image? How do we make families feel like getting food for their kids is ok. One way is we take the food to them. Food Life Line takes food to parks in Seattle so families feel fine taking the food. No one in need is turned away. We also have done away with food stamps. Families can get cards to use so it looks like they are swiping a credit card. I had no idea about that and was excited to learn that.

Hunger-Free Summer is only as successful as the number of children who take advantage of it. Families can visit the ConAgra Foods Facebook page to download a copy of “The Hunger Avengers” activity booklet. For every download of the book from June 26 to Sept. 3, 2012, the ConAgra Foods Foundation will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal* to Feeding America. The organization will also donate the monetary equivalent of one meal for every “Share” on Facebook, up to 500,000 meals.

For every $1 donated, Feeding America can help provide 8 meals to families in need. To make a donation, visit www.feedingamerica.org. Visit feedingamerica.org/ to learn more about hunger in your community and how you can help. To find a summer feeding program in your area, visit www.feedingamerica.org/summer.

The Nashville Hunger Free Summer Kick Off Event with Kellie Pickler #HungerFreeSummer

July 16, 2012 by Momstart 17 Comments

I already knew the problem, kids go hungry during the summertime. What I didn’t know was that there are companies like ConAgra Foods working to help companies like Feeding America to make sure those children are being fed. A few weeks ago I went to Nashville Tennessee where I learned a lot about working to make a difference for children during the summer.

ConAgra Foods has been providing grants to programs across the US for them to use to help children in need. In Nashville ConAgra Foods brought in musical artist Kellie Pickler to help raise awareness and interest the local media. First thing I realized is that education is the best way to help charities, because when you let more people know, then more people can be helped and more people will receive services.

Second thing I learned was that there are way more children in need than I first realized. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than one in five children doesn’t have enough food to live active, healthful lives. This is just unacceptable.

Feeding America reports the following states have the highest instance of child food insecurity according to the "Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity 2012" study:

11. Washington, D.C. – 30.7%

12. Oregon – 29.0%

12. Arizona – 29.0%

14. New Mexico – 28.7%

15. Florida – 28.4%

16. Mississippi – 28.3%

16. Georgia – 28.3%

18. Nevada – 28.2%

19. Arkansas – 27.8%

10. North Carolina – 27.6%

An executive summary of the “Map the Meal Gap” report and interactive map can be found at: feedingamerica.org/mapthegap.

Third, I learned ways to help. One, you can volunteer at your local food bank or food pantry. In Nashville we had the opportunity to create the children’s weekend backpacks. These backpacks include food for breakfast and lunch for two days.

You can also help by downloading the Hunger Avengers Activity Booklet you can educate your children about the issue and ConAgra Foods will donate a meal to Feeding America. The long-term goal of the ConAgra Foods Foundation’s Hunger-Free Summer program is to provide, over the next five years, at least 25 percent more meals for children struggling with hunger through summer food programs.

Third, education others, create food drives of your own. I found that the food bank loves to get more food from others because it’s those food drives that give them more variety than they would otherwise have. Large companies donate large amounts of the same thing and I think people in need deserve more variety, they deserve to eat just like we do.

Dean Dixon was the photographer for all of these photos, I’m a ConAgra Foods Hunger Free Summer Ambassador