Governor Deal Launches 'Feeding for a Promising Future - No Kid Hungry Campaign' with Share Our Strength and Georgia Food Bank Association

Partnership Aims to End Childhood Hunger by Connecting More Children to Summer Meals, Afterschool Meals and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

ATLANTA, Nov. 16, 2011  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Gov. Nathan Deal joined Share Our Strength®, the Georgia Food Bank Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, Walmart, Con Agra Foods® Foundation, the Atlanta Community Food Bank and a diverse group of corporate, education, nonprofit and government leaders to kick off the Feeding for a Promising Future – No Kid Hungry Campaign today in Atlanta.

A public-private partnership with Share Our Strength®, the nation's leading child anti-hunger organization, and the Georgia Food Bank Association, a network of seven regional Feeding America member food banks throughout the state, the Campaign aims to end childhood hunger by using proven strategies to increase the number of Georgia children who eat nutritious meals offered through Summer and Afterschool Meals programs, and increase the number of families who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

"Education is a top priority for me to ensure that our children have a bright future," said Gov. Deal. "Too many of our kids are not getting the nutritious meals they need to do well in school. Collectively, we can make sure they are connected to important programs so they can focus in school and thrive."

A recent report showed that Georgia ranks sixth highest in the nation for child food insecurity with more than 700,000 children in the state at risk of hunger. In Georgia and other states, many children at risk of hunger rely on school meals as their primary source of nutrition. In response, the Campaign is working to close the suppertime and summertime gap by connecting more eligible low-income children to federally-funded summer and afterschool meals programs and increasing enrollment in SNAP so they have enough food to eat where they live, learn and play.

The Georgia Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides reimbursement for free, nutritious meals and snacks served to Georgia children 18 and younger throughout the summer months. However, of the more than 800,000 students in the state who get a free or reduced-price lunch at school, only 13.6 percent (just over 100,000 kids) participate in the summer meals program. In fact, in 2010, Georgia missed out on more than $14 million in federal funding for the summer meals program because of under-enrollment.

"USDA's Food and Nutrition Service oversees 15 nutrition assistance programs that touch the lives of one in four Americans over the course of a year. The programs work together to form a national safety net against hunger," said Donald Arnette, southeast regional administrator, USDA Food and Nutrition Service. "But government can't do it alone.  Working together with partners such as Share Our Strength, the Georgia Food Bank Association and the Georgia Feeding for a Promising Future – No Kid Hungry Campaign, we can identify people in need and help connect them with nutrition assistance and nutrition education to help us reach the goal of ending childhood hunger."

Reasons for low participation in summer meals, afterschool meals and SNAP programs include lack of awareness, transportation challenges, and a shortage of meals sites. "One of the strategies of our campaign is to fight childhood hunger in our state by bringing together decision-makers and key players who can work to address challenges and help programs serve more children," said Karen Curry Davis, the campaign director for the Feeding for a Promising Future – No Kid Hungry Campaign. The Campaign is convening a collaborating table to coordinate efforts statewide.

"So many people are unaware of the resources available to them," said Bill Bolling, chairman of the Georgia Food Bank Association and founder and executive director of the Atlanta Community Food Bank. "We are kicking off a marketing and outreach campaign today to reach more children and families and let them know about these important safety-net programs. In addition, the association is working to expand the number of partner agencies we work with that help enroll people in SNAP and ensure families who fall on hard times have resources to help them stay afloat."

"Students need access to nutritious meals after school and in the summer, too," said Dr. Robert Avossa, superintendent of the Fulton County School System. "Letting more families and kids know they can take advantage of programs like summer and afterschool meals will go a long way towards ensuring these kids get the food they need so they can keep learning and growing year round."

Through support from corporations such as Walmart, ConAgra Foods Foundation, and the Arby's Foundation which is headquartered in Atlanta, Share Our Strength is investing more than $250,000 in the first year of the campaign.

"Walmart Foundation is proud to sponsor the Georgia Campaign to help draw attention to the important issue of childhood hunger that many children, families and communities across our state face every day," said Karen Brewer-Edwards, regional general manager, Walmart. "Our $100,000 contribution today is part of our $2 billion commitment to eradicate hunger. Our work here today is an important part of that effort."

"No child in America should go hungry, which is why the ConAgra Foods Foundation is proud to sponsor the Georgia No Kid Hungry Campaign," said Kori Reed, vice president of Foundation and Cause at ConAgra Foods. "We have the food, we have the programs, but we need the resources to connect kids and families to these programs. The ConAgra Foods Foundation is proud to be supporting this important work in Georgia that is surrounding kids with the meals they need where they live, learn and play."

Share Our Strength supports No Kid Hungry partnerships in 14 other states and will launch three more by early 2012. These partnerships have seen tremendous success. The Partnership to End Childhood Hunger in Maryland is working to increase the number of summer meals served and in 2010 more than 2.5 million meals were served, which represents a more than 27 percent increase over the summer of 2007.

"Our focus is on long-term change, the difference between feeding a child today and making sure no child in the U.S. ever goes hungry again," said Josh Wachs, chief strategy officer of Share Our Strength. "We are pleased to be working with Governor Deal and the Georgia Food Bank Association and believe that together we can end childhood hunger here in Georgia and nationwide."

Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters™ is also empowering Georgia families at risk of hunger with the skills and knowledge to stretch their food dollar in the healthiest way possible, with hands-on cooking and nutrition education. The Georgia Coalition for Physical Activity and Nutrition administers the program locally with the help of volunteer culinary and nutrition experts. Share Our Strength is also hosting the 24th annual Taste of the Nation Atlanta on April 12, 2012. The Atlanta event raises more revenue than any other Taste of the Nation in the country and locally benefits the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Share Our Strength's national No Kid Hungry efforts are also supported by Share Our Strength core partners ConAgra Foods Foundation, Food Network, and Walmart. Go to www.NoKidHungry.org/Georgia to learn more about the partnership. Visit www.Strength.org to learn more about Share Our Strength.

About Georgia Food Bank Association
The Georgia Food Bank Association (GFBA) is comprised of seven regional food banks, which are all members of Feeding America. Together, these seven Georgia food banks distribute more than 75 million pounds of food annually to over 2,500 agencies in all 159 counties throughout the state.  Since 1985, the GFBA members have shared food, resources and best practices to maximize their fight against hunger throughout the state. In 2011 GFBA launched "Feeding for a Promising Future", a multiyear campaign to fight hunger in Georgia with an initial focus on childhood hunger in partnership with Share our Strength. To learn more about GFBA visit www.georgiafoodbankassociation.org.

About Share Our Strength
Share Our Strength®, a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America— Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in federal nutrition programs, invests in community organizations fighting hunger, teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals, and builds public-private partnerships to end hunger, nationally and at the state and city levels. Visit www.Strength.org to learn more.

Contact:
Ariane Holm | [email protected] | C: 571-213-6465 | O: 202-649-4350
Nancy McCardel | [email protected] | C: 770-363-3721 | O: 770-977-9458

SOURCE Share Our Strength