Three Ways to Bag Childhood Hunger This Holiday

Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry® Campaign Suggests Simple Steps to Help End Childhood Hunger in America

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During a time when some children dream eagerly of Thanksgiving feasts, others dream of the day they will get meals on a regular basis.  According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, hunger remains a serious issue, where one in five children in America live in households that can't consistently put food on the table.  Share Our Strength, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America, urges the public to join the fight against hunger this holiday season, offering three simple ways to get involved.

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"When 16.2 million children in America struggle with hunger, a normally joyous season can turn into a time of uncertainty and stress," said Billy Shore, chairman and CEO of Share Our Strength. "However, there's hope when we band together and build our strength in numbers. By working together to knock down barriers and ensure our kids have access to the food they need, we can make a significant difference in ending childhood hunger -- not only during this holiday season, but for a lifetime."  

Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry® Campaign ensures kids have regular access to nutritious food through innovative hunger-relief efforts such as: ensuring that children in need are enrolled in federal nutrition programs like school lunch and breakfast; teaching at-risk families how to cook and shop for healthy, affordable meals; investing in community organizations to help connect kids with food; and building public-private partnerships to end child hunger at the state and city levels.

"All children should have the chance to feel festive during the holidays, but it's hard to celebrate when you're hungry," said Academy Award-winning actor and No Kid Hungry spokesperson Jeff Bridges. "That's why I'm a fervent believer in the No Kid Hungry Campaign and ask everyone to join the cause. It's simple for anyone, anywhere to join our fight against hunger."

How to Help:  Three Ways to Bag Childhood Hunger This Holiday

1. Donate the Cost of Your Lunch.  Whether you decide to brown bag it or stick with your normal lunch routine, donating the cost of one of your meals – around $10 – can help bag childhood hunger.
2. Shop and Give Back.  You're already shopping for friends and loved ones, so why not buy gifts that give back? Look for items that trigger a donation to a hunger-relief organization with your purchase. Check out special promotions supporting No Kid Hungry in November at Williams-Sonoma, Hickory Farms, Arby's, Whole Foods Market, The Land of Nod, Tastefully Simple and Chicago Metallic™.
3. Pledge No Kid Hungry.  Add your name alongside the likes of Jeff Bridges, Guy Fieri, Hailee Steinfield, Amanda Bynes, Ben McKensie and other celebrity pledge-takers, and join the growing movement to end childhood hunger in America.

Learn more about the No Kid Hungry Campaign and discover ways to help end childhood hunger in your own community at www.NoKidHungry.org.

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 No Kid Hungry Partners: American Express, Arby's, Birds Eye®, C&S Wholesale Grocers, CGI, Chicago Metallic™, Corner Bakery Cafe, Denny's, Domino Sugar® and C&H® Sugar, Duncan Hines®, Family Circle®, Groupon, Hickory Farms, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm®, Joe's Crab Shack, The Land of Nod, Le Creuset, Ocean Spray, OpenTable, SCA, Sodexo Foundation, Sysco, Tastefully Simple, USA TODAY, 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 by 2015—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 hunger, nationally and 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 Strength.org to get involved.

Contact: Anne Houseman, Share Our Strength
(202) 478-6513
[email protected]

SOURCE Share Our Strength