Stand Up For Summer- Share Our Strength: No Kid Hungry

When schools close in your state and across the country, free and reduced-price school meals come to an end, and millions of low-income children spend the summer months worried about how to get enough to eat. The federal summer meals programs are a great resource for some of these kids, but program barriers exist that cause only 1 out of the 7 kids who need these meals to get them.

Your members of Congress can make a difference for kids facing hunger this summer. Ask them to take action to make sure kids have access to summer meals this year.

Send an email to Congress asking your leaders to take 3 actions this summer:

1.	Visit a summer meals site to see the summer meals program in action and learn about opportunities to help modernize the program to meet the needs of kids during summer months.
2.	Raise awareness about childhood hunger in your state by sharing summer meals fliers, writing an op-ed, recording a PSA, and promoting outreach materials in your community.
3.	Promote the summer meals texting number ('FOOD' to 877-877) that helps connect families to meals sites nearest to them.

Kids might not get a vote, but they still need Congress to work for them.  Ask your members of Congress to visit a summer meals site and help us end childhood hunger in America.

Take A Stand.  Together we can end childhood hunger in America.

Hunger Hits Home

FOOD NETWORK & SHARE OUR STRENGTH PREVIEWS

"HUNGER HITS HOME"

Photo: Alex J. Berliner/ABImages

Tastemakers and celebrities came out in full force to preview HUNGER HITS HOME, a documentary produced by Food Network. This documentary, or "docu-feel" as Gina Neely called it, is narrated by Oscar-winning actor and longtime anti-hunger activist Jeff Bridges, focuses on the hidden crisis of childhood hunger in America. The film is part of an ongoing partnership between Food Network and Share Our Strength, whose NO KID HUNGRY campaign aims to eliminate child hunger in America by 2015 by giving children and their families access to nutritious food where they live, learn, and play.

Did you know that more than 16 million kids in America, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, live in households that struggle to put food on the table? THAT'S 1 OUT OF 5 KIDS!

That numbers are staggering! Food Network and Share Our Strength have teamed up to raise awareness to this crisis through the NO KID HUNGRY campaign. I was invited to attend the special red carpet event and screening of HUNGER HITS HOME where I chatted with a few celebrities who came out to help raise awareness to the crisis of child hunger in America. This is what they had to say about raising public awareness of this crisis and getting involved.

• Pat and Gina Neely - hosts of Down Home with the Neelys

• Melissa D'Arabian - host of $10 Dinners, winnerof Next Food Network Star

• Aarti Sequeira - host of Aarti's Party, winner Next Food Network Star

• Marva Soogrim - Expert Nanny Correspondent for The Today Show

• Kevin Eubanks - from The Tonight Show

You heard them: Change begins with each of us. We all need to get involved with No Kid Hungry campaign:

1. SEE IT. Gather your friends and families to watch HUNGER HITS HOME on April 14 on Food Network at 8pm/7pm C.

2. SHARE IT. Tell your friends about the documentary and invite them to view a trailer at Foodnetwork.com/hungry.

3. SUPPORT IT. Add your name to the petition and help encourage your elected officials to support the essential child nutrition programs.

Donate. $1 can connect a child in need with up to 10 meals Please make a donation to the NO KIDS HUNGRY campaign.

To make a donation and add your name to the petition, please visit Foodnetwork.com/hungry.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Please watch this very important documentary on April 14 on Food Network at 8pm/7pm C.

**I was not compensated for this post. I was invited to cover the event and screening of the documentary.

Hunger Hits Home

I volunteer at our local food pantries and know first hand that we have a hunger problem in our communities.

Child hunger is an invisible problem. We don't always see the immediate physical effects that starvation has on children. But teachers can tell you how hunger affects kids in the classrooms. We've been told time and time again, that proper nutrition and getting enough to eat definitely impact a child's ability to focus and learn. Even though we can't (or don't want to) see it, child hunger is a very real problem not just in Third World countries, but in our own country - in our communities, neighborhoods, our backyards.

According to the US Department of Agriculture:

• 48.8 million Americans are food insecure - they don't get enough food to live active and healthy lives
• 16 million children, or 1 in 5 children across the country face hunger throughout the year.
• Food insecurity exists in 14.5% of all US households
• Food insecurity also exists in 35.1% of all single-mom households
• 40.2% of all households who live at or below the poverty line are food insecure

The Food Network will air a new documentary, "Hunger Hits Home," which takes a first-hand look at the childhood hunger crisis in America through the eyes of the parents, children, anti-hunger activists, educators and politicians. This film is part of an ongoing partnership between Food Network and Share our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign to end child hunger in America.

"Hunger Hits Home" airs on the Food Network on Saturday, April 14 at 8/7C.

You can make a difference. Here's how:

1. See it. Invite your friends and family to watch the documentary with you.
2. Share it. Tell everyone you know about the documentary and invite them to watch a trailer at Foodnetwork.com/hungry.
3. Support it. $1 can provide a child in need with up to 10 meals. Please make a donation to the No Kid Hungry Campaign. Sign the petition to help encourage your elected officials to support the essential child nutrition campaigns.

To make a donation and add your name to the petition, please visit Foodnetwork.com/hungry.

I want to make a difference. I will definitely be watching this important documentary. I hope you will too.