America's Egg Farmers Partner with Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign to Help Fight Childhood Hunger in America

PARK RIDGE, Ill., May 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As school winds down, children across the country are preparing for summer. Yet for the one in five children who live in a household that struggles to put food on the table[i] , this is a time of year when many worry about where their meals will come from without access to school nutrition programs.

As part of the Good Egg Project, America's egg farmers are joining forces with Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry® campaign to raise awareness and encourage others to help fight childhood hunger so that all kids in America have access to the food they need, every day.  

"As egg farmers, it's essential we do our part to help feed the hungry and we are committed to providing Americans, especially children, with high-quality protein eggs so they can stay energized and perform their best," says Roger Deffner, Chairman of the American Egg Board. "In addition to donating more than 48 million eggs to local food banks across the country, America's egg farmers are proud to partner with Share Our Strength to support and feed kids in need."

"Childhood hunger is a nationwide problem. The good news, however, is that it is a solvable problem," said Billy Shore, founder and CEO of Share Our Strength. "The No Kid Hungry strategy is ensuring kids in need are getting the healthy food they need, every day. Working with partners like America's egg farmers, we are successfully connecting more kids to effective nutrition programs inside and outside the classroom while teaching families how to cook healthy, affordable meals."

Every American can join in and show their commitment to fighting childhood hunger by simply taking the free Good Egg Project pledge at www.incredibleegg.org/good-egg-project. For every pledge made, America's egg farmers will donate one egg to local food banks to help alleviate childhood hunger. In addition, individuals can learn about childhood hunger and do more to help by visiting NoKidHungry.org.

Feeding Hungry Children Starts with Breakfast
Eggs are a good source of high-quality protein that helps keep children energized so they can enjoy running and playing outside, and research shows that starting your day with breakfast leads to better learning and test scores in schools[ii]. Eggs are also one of the few foods that are naturally a good source of vitamin D, which aids calcium in helping grow strong bones. Yet many Americans don't realize that high-quality protein foods like eggs are often in short supply at the nation's food banks, where many families go for food support – especially during summer months.

Egg farmers' commitment to help fight childhood hunger starts on the farm by doing what's right for their hens, because nutritious eggs come from healthy hens. Once eggs are laid, they're carefully washed, packaged and delivered to the grocery store – or food bank – within 72 hours, ensuring families and children in need are getting a quality, nutritious product.

To learn more about the Good Egg Project, America's egg farmers and the nutrition benefits of eggs, visit www.IncredibleEgg.org or the Incredible Edible Egg on Facebook.

About the American Egg Board (AEB)
AEB connects America's egg farmers with consumers, communicates the value of The incredible edible egg™ and receives funding from a national legislative checkoff on all egg production from companies with more than 75,000 hens in the continental United States. The board consists of 18 members and 18 alternates from all regions of the country who are appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. The AEB staff carries out the programs under the board's direction. AEB is located in Park Ridge, Ill. Visit www.IncredibleEgg.org for more information.

About the Good Egg Project
The Good Egg Project is an effort by America's egg farmers and the American Egg Board to educate people about where eggs come from and encourage people to pledge to fight childhood hunger. For each pledge made on the campaign website, America's egg farmers will donate one egg to local food banks to help alleviate childhood hunger. Visit www.IncredibleEgg.org to learn more about modern egg farming and how to give back to the community and live more healthfully.

About SHARE OUR STRENGTH'S NO KID HUNGRY CAMPAIGN
No child should grow up hungry in America, but one in five children struggles with hunger. Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry® campaign is ending childhood hunger in America by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day. The No Kid Hungry campaign connects kids in need to effective nutrition programs like school breakfast and summer meals and teaches low-income families to cook healthy, affordable meals through Cooking Matters. This work is accomplished through the No Kid Hungry network, made up of private citizens, public officials, nonprofits, business leaders and others providing innovative hunger solutions in their communities. Join us at NoKidHungry.org.

[i] Share Our Strength and Deloitte Analysis (2012). "No Kid Hungry Starts with Breakfast." Ending Childhood Hunger: A Social Impact Analysis.

[ii] Share Our Strength and Deloitte Analysis (2012). "No Kid Hungry Starts with Breakfast." Ending Childhood Hunger: A Social Impact Analysis.

For more information, contact:
Egg Media Hotline
1-855-EGGS411
[email protected]

SOURCE American Egg Board