Hungry Children

Today, on World Food Day -- I want to call your attention to the needs of many millions of children around the world. In countries suffering from absolute poverty, chronic hunger is a deadly threat to children.

The food, fuel, and financial crises have pushed the numbers of those enduring chronic hunger past one billion people for the first time in history. So as we enter the season of colossal Wall Street bonuses and a frenzy of holiday spending, it's time for us to share the privilege of plenty. It's time to declare, once and for all, that not a single child should die from hunger. This is an achievable goal. With $3.2 billion a year -- or $1.5 billion less than Americans spend on Halloween annually, and a fraction of America's $300 billion a year in private giving -- we can feed the 66 million children worldwide who go to school hungry. This alone won't end hunger, but it would be a huge step forward.

We often hear about U.S. teachers being paid poorly for all the work they do to educate children. But did you know that 63 percent of teachers report ...