Virtual Town Hall Meeting: The Real Story About Child Hunger

CHICAGO, Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following release is being issued by Feeding America:

WHAT: As part of Feeding America's Hunger Action Month and in light of new food security data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Feeding America, leaders in Washington are coming together to analyze what these numbers mean for hungry children and their ability to learn and discuss actions the public can take to help fight hunger in local communities.  

WHO:  

• Vicki Escarra, President & CEO, Feeding America
• Kevin Concannon, Under Secretary for Food and Nutrition, U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Lorretta Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer, American Federation of Teachers
• Grassroots anti-hunger, child, and education advocates from around the country

WHEN:
September 15, 2011, 3 p.m. EDT
To register and Join the conversation: http://www.hungeractioncenter.org/register_VTH.aspx

WHY:
September is Hunger Action Month and Feeding America recently released Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity, the first-ever report showing child food insecurity data for every county, state, and congressional district in the country.  With more than 1 in 5 children at-risk of hunger nationwide, important nutrition assistance programs protect millions of low-income children from hunger.  Cuts to the programs would increase the risk of hunger for vulnerable families nationwide, and Feeding America is working to protect programs from cuts as Congress looks to address the budget deficit. With this Virtual Town Hall Meeting, Feeding America seeks to raise awareness about child hunger and mobilize people to take action in their communities.

Under Secretary Kevin Concannon will provide an update about how programs are working and launch a new video contest for students about ways they are addressing hunger in their community. Lorretta Johnson will talk about the impact of hunger that teachers see in the classroom. Vicki Escarra will talk about the impact that proposed cuts would have on child hunger and describe ways that participants can take action against child hunger during Hunger Action Month.  

ABOUT FEEDING AMERICA
Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica. Map the Meal Gap data can be found at www.feedingamerica.org/mapthegap.

ABOUT AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS
The AFT represents 1.5 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.

CONTACT
Shannon Traeger
Feeding America
312-641-5717
[email protected]

SOURCE Feeding America