Last night after reading this fantastic post by Lisa Johnson I watched Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution on Hulu. I had a huge lightbulb moment. I am working with ConAgra Food’s Childhood Hunger Ends Here, but the lightbulb moment was that it’s not just about childhood hunger, it’s about transforming food in America to make it more accessible to everyone, and allow everyone access to healthy food choices. In the first episode Jaime heads to Huntington, West Virginia to the unhealthiest town in America. He faced some serious opposition from the cooks at the local elementary school.
In the next episode Jaime will face creating a menu within the budget constraints of the school that is healthy, and that the kids will eat. No easy task! He will also be helping families with limited budgets make smart, healthy food choices.
But what about people who can’t afford healthy choices, much less food at all? How can we help make sure that all children are not just fed, but fed well?
It’s very simple, we can get involved.
Find out what your community needs
- Start by taking stock of your own house. Are you wasting food? Could you cut back $10/week on your budget to donate to Feeding America?
- Call you local food banks, and find out how you can help (see suggestions below for ways to raise money).
- Call your child’s school and talk to them about their menu, important not only for your own kids, but for those children who eat 2 or more meals at school (and may not get any other food for the rest of the day!).
- Visit Childhood Hunger Ends Here and click on the tab labelled “About Child Hunger”, then click on the picture of the map. A screen will popup with an interactive map so you can learn ore about your area, and find local food banks.
What are some ways you can raise money?
Donate money to your local food bank-remember dollars go farther than food stuff, since $1 can buy as many as 7 meals! All money you donate online through Feeding America will go directly to your local community. Raising money is a great way to get your family and community involved!
- Purchase participating Con Agra Foods Brands, for every product you purchase 1 meal will be donated to Feeding America! Participating brands are:
- Banquet
- Chef Boyardee
- Healthy Choice
- Manwich
- Marie Callender’s
- Orville Redenbacker’s
- Peter Pan Peanut Butter
- host your own rally or event and raise money for Feeding America, some ideas:
- lemonade stand
- popcorn stand
- rummage sale
- booth at a school fair
- raffle
- Non Monetary ways to help:
- volunteer your time
- grow your own veggies and donate the excess to your local food bank
For more information:
- Visit the Childhood Hunger Ends Here site for more info on how you can help.
- Watch this amazing video about Feeding America.
- Take this quiz: Do you know the real facts about hunger in America?
How will you help fight childhood hunger?
Kelly
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