This September Share Our Strength Calls On America To End Childhood Hunger

--Stronger Kids Make America Stronger--

WASHINGTON, Aug. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- No child should grow up hungry in America, yet one in five children in this country lives with the stress of hunger. Children who struggle with hunger have a harder time concentrating in school and are likely to get sick more often. When children get the food they need, they feel better, learn more and grow up stronger. 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.  Throughout September, Share Our Strength® offers easily accessible ways for everyone to become part of the No Kid Hungry solution.

It's easy to make a difference right away.  Thousands of No Kid Hungry restaurants will be participating in Share Our Strength's Dine Out For No Kid Hungry™ to raise funds, spread the word and contribute to the No Kid Hungry campaign. (Go to NoKidHungry.org for participating restaurants by zip code.)  People can also go to NoKidHungry.org and take the No Kid Hungry pledge, adding their names and voice to the growing movement dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America.  The goal for September is to raise the number of pledge takers by 100,000.  Everyone can share what they're doing with friends, family and co-workers by asking them to join the movement or share personal experiences with hunger at NoKidHungry.org as well as on Facebook and Twitter. Also, look for unique opportunities to support No Kid Hungry through corporate partner promotions at The Land of Nod, Le Creuset, Stephen Joseph, Tastefully Simple, Weight Watchers® Lose For Good® and Williams-Sonoma.  Even more can be done by lending your voice through advocacy, getting involved locally, and learning more about the difference No Kid Hungry is making.

"Our focus is on long-term change, not only feeding a child today, but making sure no child in the U.S. ever goes hungry again," said Billy Shore, Founder and CEO of Share Our Strength. "Through public-private partnerships that include:  corporations, chefs, restaurants, the USDA, elected officials, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, teachers, parents and committed citizens, we can end childhood hunger together. That's why this month we're raising awareness about the many things that people can do to make sure no child grows up hungry."

"As I head into my third year as the national spokesperson for Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign, I'm humbled by the people who work so hard to make sure America's kids have access to the nutritious food they need and deserve," said No Kid Hungry national spokesman Jeff Bridges. "It's people like moms and chefs, business leaders and basketball players, lunch ladies, actors and actresses and young people who are making a difference. Yet we still have more than 16 million children in this country struggling with hunger and that's unacceptable. Everyone can play a part in helping to end childhood hunger in America. The time to help is now."

Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign is nationally supported by Share Our Strength's Core Partners:  the ConAgra Foods Foundation, Food Network and Walmart, and by our No Kid Hungry Partners:  American Express, Arby's Foundation, Birds Eye, C&S Wholesale Grocers, Cavit, CGI Group Inc., ClearChannel Community, Corner Bakery Cafe, Deloitte LLP, Denny's®, Domino Sugar and C&H Sugar, Duncan Hines, Family Circle, Fleischmann's Yeast, Hickory Farms, Hillshire Farm, jcpenney, Jimmy Dean, Joe's Crab Shack, Karo, The Land of Nod, Le Creuset, National Restaurant Association, NBA Cares, ONEHOPE Wine, OpenTable, Romano's Macaroni Grill, SCA, Sodexo Foundation, Stephen Joseph, Sysco, Tastefully Simple, Ted's Montana Grill, Weight Watchers, Whole Foods Market and Williams-Sonoma.

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 effective federal nutrition programs; invests in community organizations fighting hunger; teaches families how to cook healthy, affordable meals; and builds public-private partnerships to end childhood hunger, at the state and city level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit NoKidHungry.org to get involved.

Contact: Pat Lute, 202-734-3537 office,
202-236-1518 mobile, [email protected]

SOURCE Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry