Childhood Hunger Ends Here: An Epidemic and you can help

It’s Mom Monday, where I discuss my thoughts and experiences being a mom. I have never in all my days as a mom or as a parent experienced hunger. Even when my husband and I were living on less than $20K/year we always had food to eat. We never once went hungry, sadly not everyone is so fortunate.

You may think childhood hunger is a problem that happens in low income areas, in major cities, and places hit hard by the economy (and you would be right), but you may not realize childhood hunger is probably happening right in your own neighborhood. At your child’s school. At the park. To someone you know.

Nearly 1 in 4 children don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

Almost 17 million children are at risk for hunger, and many of those children experience undernourishment.

Research shows that “mild under-nutrition experienced by young children during critical periods of growth impacts the behavior of children, their school performance, and their overall cognitive development.” *

These statistics might shock you, or fill you with an aching grief that so many children are suffering needlessly, but I hope they will also ignite a passion in you to DO something-any little thing that you can.  As a mom those facts bring tears to my eyes, so when I was approached to talk about childhood hunger on behalf of ConAgra Foods I jumped at the chance.

Childhood hunger ends HERE.

I am 1 of 14 nationwide bloggers chosen to be a part of the Childhood Hunger Ends Here campaign. Our aim is to spread awareness and help raise money for Feeding America which will be donated to our local communities. (see the bottom for a list of all participating bloggers)

How can you help? It’s easier than you think!

• Become a Facebook fan of Childhood Hunger Ends Here

• Follow ConAgra Foods on twitter for updates and info. Use the hashtag #FightChildHunger to ask questions, get info, and help spread the word that childhood hunger ends now.

• Purchase a ConAgra “Brands that Care” food, for every meal you purchase 1 meal will be donated to Feeding America.

• Host a rally or fundraiser. To register and receive a rally kit head over to  Childhood Hunger Ends Here.

• Show your kids what it means to be a caring citizen, and help them find a way to raise money. Selling lemonade, hosting a yard sale, or going door to door are all wonderful ways children can give back.

• Use coupons to purchase some of ConAgra’s participating brands, coupons can be found under the red Brands that Care tab.

• If you are local to the Philadelphia region, please let me know if you are willing to help our community. I will be featuring rallies, and events that help end childhood hunger in the Philadelphia area.

You don’t need to have $1,000 to donate. You don’t need to purchase ConAgra Foods to participate. But you can not ignore this epidemic. Let’s end childhood hunger together.

Look for more posts on the Childhood Hunger Ends Here campaign over the next 6 weeks. You can also follow these  amazing women who will also be talking about out fight to end childhood hunger.

• Niri from Mommy Niri
• Christie from ChristieCrowder.Com
• Melinda from Look What Mom Found
• Tamara from The Unexperienced Mom
• Andrea D. from Mommy Snacks
• Andrea F. from Savvy, Sassy Moms
• Laura from My DFW Mommy
• Courtney from Detroit Mommies
• Jenny from The Suburban Jungle
• Molly from The Snyder 5
• Judy from Dirt Road Musings
• Jessica from It’s my Life…
• Danielle from Extraordinary Mommy

Kelly

*=from ConAgra’s site

Disclosure: I am being paid a stipend to for my participation, and will be traveling on a paid trip in April. Let me be clear that I would 100% support this cause for nothing, and all money I earn is going to pay for expenses I will incur as a participant.

About Kelly

Kelly Whalen is the founder and editor of the Centsible Life. She started the blog in 2008 as her family faced a mountain of debt and the fixer upper they purchased became a FIXER UPPER. The website was born out of her desire to share what was working (and what was not) on her family's journey to financial security. Kelly lives in Minneapolis with her family.

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