Share Our Strength – Eradicating Hunger in America
It’s hard to believe that in the world’s wealthiest nation, 35 million Americans – including 12.6 million children are at risk of hunger. That’s one in six kids in America who have limited access to the nutritious food they need to develop their full potential. Childhood hunger doesn’t discriminate, it affects those of all races – black, white, Asian and Hispanic, short and tall, thin and chubby.
Family poverty is the most universal cause of childhood hunger. Families living in poverty are constantly forced to trade one necessity for another: cupboards filled with healthy foods for rent, utilities, transportation and healthcare. Often people living below the poverty line live in what are called “food deserts” – far from the nearest grocery store, their neighborhood stores aren’t stocked with fresh foods at affordable prices. And many families have limited knowledge of the food and nutrition programs available to them.
Children who don’t get enough healthy foods on a regular basis suffer lifelong consequences:
• Poorer health and weaker immune systems; more stomachaches, headaches, colds, ear infections, and fatigue; and more hospitalizations.
• Behavioral difficulties.
• Impaired performance in school — academically, athletically and socially.
Today we are talking with Amy Zganjar, Director of Development for an organization called Share Our Strength®. Share our Strength – or SOS, works to end hunger and poverty in the United States and abroad by mobilizing industries and individuals, and creating community wealth to promote lasting change.
Share Our Strength is a national organization working to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry. They work to weave together a safety net of community groups, activists and food programs to catch children at risk of hunger and surround them with nutritious food where they live, learn and play.
To learn more about the Share Our Strength and how you can help fight hunger in your community, or how to give immediately to the Holiday Campaign, visit www.strength.org .
Tags: childhood hunger, children at risk, immune systems, nutrition programs, share our strength
