September is Defeat Hunger Month: Make a $2.7 Million Impact by Helping Feed the Children Raise $300K in 30 days

Each $1 given is multiplied by $9 to provide food, essentials for families across U.S., 8 countries worldwide

OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 31, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- It has been estimated that 1 in 6 children in the U.S. lives in a food-insecure household, meaning that they don't always know how or when they will get their next meal. That's why Feed the Children, a leading nonprofit focused on alleviating childhood hunger, has designated September as Defeat Hunger Month and set a goal to raise $300,000 in 30 days. Each dollar multiplies nine times – providing $2.7 million in food and essentials to families around the world. For the organization, it's a time to raise awareness, rally support, take action and fight hunger head-on.

The World Health Organization has reported that, globally, nearly 1 in 3 people now lacks year-round access to adequate food—a sharp increase since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Lower-income families—those hit hardest by the turmoil of the last two years— are now confronting hardships like higher food and gas prices and sustained economic uncertainty.

For William, a father to three daughters, the pandemic had a lasting impact on his family – one they are still trying to recover from.

"When the pandemic hit, it affected us greatly because first my work hours got cut back and I was eventually laid off," he said. "That was really tough … we almost lost our house a couple times. We had to choose to either pay a bill or put food on the table. And sometimes you just have to make sure you put food on the table. If we even have to give up our car, our house, just as long as my kids are fed. That's the most important thing."

Through Feed the Children's community partner, Buffalo Dream Center, William and his family received food and household essentials.

"I definitely feel like it can happen to anybody, and it's been happening to a lot of people," William said.

Feed the Children, works 365 days a year to stamp out hunger and make a difference in the lives of children and families across the United States and in eight countries around the world. But the organization can't do it alone. They work with public and private partners to ensure everyone, everywhere, has access to the safe, healthy and nutritious food they need. By working with a vast network of community partners (like food pantries and soup kitchens), Feed the Children provides food and essentials, education initiatives, and disaster response to help children and their families achieve stable lives, while providing food and resources to help them today. 

"Feed the Children helps provide things that people need on a daily basis, from toothpaste, to deodorant to food to just almost anything you can think of," said Cheryl Cash, a volunteer at L.O.V.E. Healing Waters in Arkansas. "We're on the front lines of helping to distribute items for Feed the Children to people in the community and in the areas that need that assistance. Feed the Children provides so many things that we can serve the community with."

Feed the Children has five distribution centers in the United States including Bethlehem, Penn., Elkhart, Ind., LaVergne, Tenn., Oklahoma City, Okla. and Chandler, Ariz. which serve as hubs to provide shelf-stable food and much-needed essentials to families across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

In addition to their work in the U.S., Feed the Children also works in eight countries around the world serving families in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Kenya, Malawi, the Philippines, Tanzania and Uganda. There the nonprofit provides a child-focused community development approach which emphasizes four key programs including food and nutrition, health and water, education and livelihoods. The organization's efforts provide parents with the opportunity to gain the skills they need to raise well-nourished and thriving children.

"Children cannot thrive unless their basic needs are met," said Travis Arnold, president and CEO of Feed the Children. "A widespread issue like childhood hunger will only be solved when enough people work together. Support from our partners and the public is vital to our mission as we serve vulnerable communities in cities, towns and rural areas across the United States."

In the U.S. and around the world, Feed the Children distributed approximately 98.9 million pounds of food and essentials valued at more than $494.5 million in fiscal year 2021. Through our partnerships and programs, our outreach to children and their families benefited more than eight million people in the U.S. and more than two million internationally for a total of more than 10 million people globally.

For more information on how you can help raise $300K in 30 days and #DefeatHunger, visit feedthechildren.org. Thanks to the generous support of our partners, each gift given multiplies nine times to deliver food to families in the U.S. and around the world.

At Feed the Children, we feed hungry kids. We envision a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. and internationally, we are dedicated to helping families and communities achieve stable lives and to reducing the need for help tomorrow, while providing food and resources to help them today. We distribute product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, we provide support for teachers and students, and we mobilize resources quickly to aid recovery efforts when natural disasters strike. Internationally, we manage child-focused community development programs in eight countries. We welcome partnerships because we know our work would not be possible without collaborative relationships.

Visit feedthechildren.org for more information.

SOURCE Feed the Children