“This post is brought to you by ConAgra Foods and The Motherhood, but read on see that this is a cause I believe in. I’ve been compensated for my time. However, all opinions are my own.”
Today is the last day of school. It’s a day replete with milestones, anticipation, and promise. Bird will have just finished fourth grade and is a few months away from a double digit birthday. He is energized and has a new found curiosity that his fantastic teacher fired up. Deal is weeks away from turning eight and has had a banner year in second grade. We have much to be proud of, and we shall celebrate the last day of school with banana splits, dinner at a favorite local spot, and staying up late to watch Good Luck Charlie (my favorite show) and a movie. We might even splurge on popsicles and toffee caramel corn. The end of school signals a welcome freedom, the joy of lazy days, and the loosening grip of schedules and to-dos that bind us. My favorite part of the end of school is no. more. packing. lunches. And yet in a twist of cruel irony, the one thing I can’t shake is that so many kids will go hungry this summer.
I hear the voice of a hungry child as a murmur in my ear and a tug at my heart.
As some of you know, I work with a fantastic group of moms at my sons’ school to bring Backpack Buddies to children who face severe food insecurity. We raise money to fund this program and deliver the food ourselves to classrooms every week. The last delivery was last Thursday. We partner with the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and are so grateful to their tireless commitment to feeding families in our community. I also serve as a social media ambassador to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina (recipient of a Hunger Free Summer grant!). Part of our summer will be spent volunteering there! I will happily spend my time and energy to help fill the bellies of hungry kids. We must feed their bellies in order to nourish their brains.
It turns out ConAgra Foods shares my mission.
- Half of the ConAgra Foods Foundation’s $10 million commitment to Feeding America is dedicated to summer hunger support.
- Through “Hunger-Free Summer grants,” food banks throughout the country use funds to overcome barriers.
- 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.
Here’s the simplest way to help. Every time this video is viewed, a child gets a meal.
Watch and share, folks.
And remember this:
- While 21.5 million kids rely on free or reduced-price meals during the school year, when school is out, only 2.3 million children participate in the Summer Food Service Program. That’s an awful lot if hungry children who had nothing to do with their station in life.
- For the millions of kids who fall within that gap, summer does not mean a few months of fun and relaxation. It means they may be at risk of hunger. While my sons gorge on treats and relish backyard cookouts, many of their classmates go to bed hungry. And spend their waking moments hungry.
I whole-heartedly believe this is solvable. We can stop childhood hunger. Take action now.
I’ve looked into the eyes of a hungry child. I’ve heard grumbling emptiness during tutoring sessions. I don’t know what it is to be hungry but I do know what it is to care about a hungry child and feel powerless. ConAgra’s Hunger Free Summer program is one way to give us all the power to DO SOMETHING.