How You Can Help Kids Have a Hunger-Free Summer

Each summer I plan out fun and easy meals that keep my kiddos healthy and also cut back on my work a little. My kids are blessed because they have always had enough to eat and have never experienced food insecurity. However, that is not the case for millions of children in our country. Summer can intensify this problem for many families because the free or reduced price lunch they receive during the school year is no longer accessible. Many families struggle to put enough food on the table during the summer months but there is hope for families! This summer, 26 food banks in 18 states will use Hunger-Free Summer grants, funded by the ConAgra Foods Foundation (ranging from $20,000 to $50,000) to expand their summer feeding program, bringing more healthy meals to more children this summer.

Your family can help with this cause is a few simple ways.

Start at home! Tonight while you sit around your family dinner table, open up a conversation about food insecurity. Share with your children whether or not you have ever experienced food insecurity. What have you done to help others experiencing hunger? Ask your children if they have any ideas to help fight this issue in your community. As a family, plan out one or two things you can do over the summer to make a difference for families facing food insecurity. My family plans to make a shopping trip specifically for items to donate to our local food bank and volunteer time packing meals.

Take the video call to action. View, like, or share Kid President’s new video to raise awareness for kids who are at risk of hunger this summer and help make kids’ summers “awesome!” Every time you take one of these actions, the ConAgra Foods Foundation will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal to the nation’s leading hunger-relief organization, Feeding America, up to two million meals.¹  This was originally going to be 1 million views, but the response was so great they doubled it!

Participate in ConAgra Foods’ Hunger-Free Summer initiative with Feeding America. The program, now in its fifth year, has supported the delivery of 3.8 million meals to children struggling with hunger over the summer. Click here to learn more about the issue of child hunger and the Hunger-Free Summer initiative.

Volunteer at your local food bank. There are many opportunities to help. You might end up stocking shelves, preparing food boxes, or even leading children’s activities at some locations.

Advocate. To find meal sites in your area, call the National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479).

There are so may ways to help. What do you plan to do?  Be sure to start by watching this video and the ConAgra Foods Foundation will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal to the nation’s leading hunger-relief organization, Feeding America, up to two million meals.¹ 

¹For every view, like or share of this Kid President video recorded on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and Google+ from May 22, 2014 through July 31, 2014, the ConAgra Foods Foundation will donate 11.1¢, the cost for Feeding America to provide one meal through its network of local food banks. Minimum donation of 10,000 meals ($11,111). Maximum donation of two million meals ($111,111). Valid in U.S. only.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of The Motherhood and Hunger Free Summer. All opinions are strictly my own.