parent, it’s tough to think of any child going to bed hungry, or being unsure
where her next meal is coming from, but it’s a fact of life. One in five
American kids isn’t sure if supper will be on the table tonight.
try to shield our own kids from such harsh realities, it’s not always a bad
thing for our children to have some understanding of hunger in America. In
fact, kids are amazingly empathetic and usually want to help. They don’t like
the idea of other kids being hungry any more than their parents do!
a Family Project
your kids about the problem of hunger in our country. You don’t want to
frighten them or make them worry that "they will be next,” but they can absorb
the fact that some people are not as fortunate as they are.
Your kids understand that moms and dads lose jobs, get sick, and have other problems
that make it difficult for them to have enough money to feed their families. If
you suggest to your offspring that there are ways that you, as a family, can
help, they will leap at the opportunity.
Some Ideas for Helping
and faith-based organizations are the lifeline of America’s emergency food
distribution. For instance, nearly 75 percent of the food pantries and 65
percent of soup kitchens are run by agencies affiliated with a
church, mosque or synagogue.
your place of worship is a good place to start. Community centers and civic organizations are another.
Look for existing programs where you and your kids can package meals or make peanut
butter and jelly sandwiches for the soup kitchen down the street. Or, you might
be able to help at that kitchen, unpacking groceries, washing dishes, or ladling
food into bowls.
You and the
kids could spend a few hours every week at the local food bank, sorting through
donated canned and packaged good. Or you may be asked to sweep up after the
food bank has made its daily or weekly donations to its clientele.
kids know that anything that helps the food bank or soup kitchen get the job
done is worthwhile.
Ways to Help
at-risk children eat both breakfast and lunch at school. As a parent, you
could volunteer to be a monitor at one of these meals.
Make sure the school is aware of summer feeding programs. When schools
close for July and August, large numbers of children miss meals. Many
communities sponsor summertime breakfast and lunch programs — and these
programs are always looking for help! You could turn this into a PTA project,
be asked to transport food to the feeding site, pass it out to the kids who
show up, or even plan a recreational activity to occupy the kids when they
finish eating. The key to the success of these feeding programs is to keep the youngsters coming back.
and your kids make a commitment to fight hunger, stick with it. Sure, a single
morning at the food bank will make a difference, but sticking to a weekly or
monthly schedule has a larger impact. And letting your children know the value
of regular volunteering is a lifelong gift.
other hand, don’t worry if your direct involvement waxes and wanes with your
family’s hectic schedule. Keep the issue in the forefront of family
conversations; make note of stories in the news that might raise some issues.
This way, with renewed vigor and enthusiasm, you and your kids will plunge into
the next round of volunteer opportunities.
more ideas, go to nokidhungry and tysonhungerrelief