Feeding America = Make a difference in YOUR community!

I don't really remember much of my 1st grade year except for a couple of rather vivid memories.  I remember hiding under the stairs in an apartment building that was being built about 2 blocks from my babysitter's house and I can also remember being in 1st grade and being terribly hungry. My babysitter wouldn't feed me in the morning and of course I had a hard time making it until lunch time when we would walk home for lunch (back in the day you know). My teacher always kept carrots and crackers in her drawer and would give them to me to keep me going until lunch time 


Right now, millions of Americans are struggling with hunger.  These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days.


Did YOU Know?  Hunger is a reality for 1 in 6 Americans!

• More than 17 million children are living in Food Insecure households.
• 36% of households served by Feeding America have at least 1 adult who works.
• The lack of adequate nutrition affects the physical, cognitive and behavioral health of children.
• Children from food insecure households are more irritable, tired and have a harder time focusing and learning in school. 

**Facts are from http://feedingamerica.org

There are a few ways that you can help children in your community. FeedingAmerica.org supports your local food bank when you purchase food/meals for your family each week at the grocery store. 

Kids Cafe programs provide free meals and snacks to low-income children through a variety of community locations where children already congregate—such as Boys & Girls Clubs, churches or public schools. In addition to providing meals to kids, all Kids Cafe programs also offer a safe place, where under the supervision of trustworthy staff, a child can get involved in educational, recreational and social activities.  There are over 1,600 established Kids Cafes in operation.

The BackPack Program: There are children in America that rely on resources such as free or reduced-priced school lunch, during the school year. The BackPack Program is designed to meet the needs of hungry children at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school vacations. More than 140 Feeding America members operated more than 3,600 BackPack Programs and served more than 190,000 children in FY2009.

How can you help:  You can make a donation to FeedingAmerica.org. Your:

$25 donation provides 175 meals,  $50 donation provides 350 meals

$100 donation provides 700 meals

Or you can:

• For each 8-gallon fuel purchase made at a participating Valero outlet, Valero will donate $1 to Feeding America to directly benefit the local food bank in that area.
• You can Stamp Out Hunger each year on May 14th. Place non-perishable food items in your mailbox on May 14, and they will be delivered to local food banks need.
• Child Hunger Ends Here: When you purchase select ConAgra Food products and enter a code online at www.ChildHungerEndsHere.com, a monetary donation will be made enabling one meal to be provided to Feeding America (up to 2.5 million meals). Participating brands include Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Healthy Choice, Fresh Mixers, Kid Cuisine, Marie Callender’s and Peter Pan. Every code entered through 8/31/11 is another meal that ConAgra Foods will donate to Feeding America on behalf of local food banks to help feed a child in need. (Look for the Red Thumbtack that says Child Hunger Ends Here on the package)
• The Pound for Pound Challenge: For the third consecutive year, NBC’s The Biggest Loser, General Mills, Subway, and Feeding America are partnering on the Pound For Pound Challenge, a national initiative encouraging Americans to lose weight to combat hunger in their local communities. For every pound of weight participants pledge to lose, a pound of groceries will be secured on behalf of a local food bank. Since the program’s inception, nearly 10 million pounds have been pledged! You can learn more at www.PFPchallenge.com.       
• Like to Cook? The Pampered Chef has been a loyal supporter of Feeding America since 1991. In that time, The Pampered Chef has raised more than $16 million to support our Network. As part of their Round-Up from the Heart® campaign, cooking show guests are encouraged to "round-up" their orders to the next dollar or beyond. Money raised from these shows goes to the network member in that local area. Why not host a fundraiser cooking show in your home and donate your hostess benefits to Feeding America?