'Tis the season for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. All deals you can't pass up on in an effort to get you to buy. Fortunately, today is Giving Tuesday, a day of giving back. It's a day where tens of thousands of organizations from around the globe will ask you to make the world a better place for all of us. Right here in America, we live n a country where 1 in 5 children, that's 16 million, face hunger insecurity. It's a problem. Thankfully, No Kid Hungry has a solution. And the impact is working. Since the campaign's launch, No Kid Hungry and our partners have connected kids struggling with hunger with more than 460 million meals.
But we still have a long way to go to make sure that no kid goes hungry and that starts with Giving Tuesday. Why? Because today, all funds raised, up to $100,000 will be matched by Hickory Farms and Kettle Brand, That means $100,000 raised will turn into $200,000 which can connect kids with 2 million meals in a single day. Will you double your impact today?
As an advocate for No Kid Hungry, I often share my story of what No Kid Hungry means to me, but for Giving Tuesday, I wanted to share what No Kid Hungry means to several people I care deeply about and who are part of our solution.
Knowledge
I was that teased "free meal" program kid growing up. I was that kid that many times had their only food come from free meals at school. I would hoard the breakfast cereal in my locker for the summer time when I may have only that cereal as a meal. I never want to see other children go through the same. I still have issues with food because of the lack of it as a child. No child in our nation of wealth and consumerism should be going hungry. No parent should have to worry about how their basic needs are going to get covered and how they are going to feed their children.
As a mom of two girls I would hate to see them go hungry. No Kid Hungry is working to change that. They are a great organization that cares.
When I worked with BD/ED children one of my students tried to eat his styrofoam lunch tray because he had been so hungry his first 5 years of life. No child should know hunger like that.
Because as the wife of a teacher and a person who works with youth, I see first hand out hunger can affect the learning ability and quality of life of a child. We live such privileged lives to have "nothing to eat" with a cabinet full of food.
I WAS that hungry kid. Every time someone randomly "ding dong ditched" us with a bag of groceries on our stoop as to not embarrass us will never go forgotten. I pay it forward.
Meaning
I love that No Kid Hungry increases visibility of hunger in our midst and provides us all a way to help meet one of the most basic needs for one of the most vulnerable groups.
Feed the body. Feed the mind. Feed the soul. It is difficult for children who are hungry to succeed. No Kid Hungry helps kids who might otherwise be hungry have the energy to dedicate to their studies and daily life.
Food is the fuel that nourishes young bodies and minds. How can we expect children to focus and learn and function successfully at school -- and in life -- unless they have sufficient nutrition?
Education about what it means to make healthy choices is essential -- but for those without access to food, choices are only a concept. #NoKidHungry fills that void.
NKH takes the "give to yourself, give to others" approach. Involving restaurants allows the process to be a win-win-win situation. So it is easy and fulfilling and being kind and thoughtful all in one fell swoop. NKH is a joy.
With so much focus (rightfully so) on the refugee crisis, it is imperative that we spend just as much time focusing on the problems at home. How are we to help others when we don't help ourselves. No Kid Hungry shines the spotlight on the domestic challenges and provides insight and action plans for tackling those challenges.
Impact
Food is so easily taken for granted. We get to eat what we want when we want. Not everyone is given that luxury, and we waste food, starve ourselves and complain, when so many children would love the opportunity to have those "problems." NKH is the best answer to help people get the most basic of human rights- food. A meal. A chance.
There is so much food grown and produced in the world that no one should go hungry, especially children. In the spirit of this season, it is time to reflect on what is important in life. If making sure that no child goes hungry is not a priority for you, then make it one. You, and we, as a community, can make a difference. Tim reminds me of that every day.
The idea that we need a NoKidHungry hashtag should make us all think long and hard about what we should value, what really is a life well lived. Universities should have course work focused on alleviating poverty, income inequity. Our teens are taking the SATs to get into great schools. But to what end? If kids are hungry in this country then we've all failed.
Responsibility
We need to let all children in our country know that people care about them and will help them--even strangers. We cannot let our children lose hope or faith. It is that simple.
We have known since the time of author Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol Stave Three Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge the children named Ignorance and Want. He demonstrated through these emaciated children what comes from both. We in our time need to work to wipe out hunger everywhere. It's our obligation.
No Kid Hungry is the responsibility to our privilege of being members of the human race.
As global citizens we all share no greater stewardship responsibility than the care of our youth. The future depends on leaving#NoKidHungry.
Children are the future. ....it is our job to make sure they have what they need to make our future.
What does No Kid Hungry mean to you?
Will you help me reach my personal fundraising goal for No Kid Hungry this Giving Tuesday? It starts with one dollar = 20 meals and we can each do the math of what's possible. Together, we can make No Kid Hungry a reality. Please take one minute to make a big difference today and open more hearts in the world.