no kid hungry

I had a very proud moment last week as a social worker watching the House of Representatives pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 - a bill that I had been advocating for since starting my internship at the United Way this September.  The bill provides more federal funding and changes the standards for nutrition to ensure children eat well at school. With childhood obesity skyrocketing and education performance backsliding, it could not have come at a better time.  The bill also provides free school lunch automatically for low-income children who qualify.  Nearly 17 million American children do not have enough to eat.

In another effort to fight hunger, I introduce to you the No Kid Hungry campaign run by Share Our Strength that is working hard to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry.  If you must buy kid's toys for Christmas, how about buying products that give a little back?  5% of proceeds from the sale of select gifts at The Land of Nod (groovy kids toys by Crate and Barrel) is donated to No Kid Hungry.

(I know that 5% doesn't seem like much, but anyone who does their shopping at Crate and Barrel knows that can add up pretty quickly.  And according to the campaign, just $1 can help connect a child to 10 healthy meals. So...)

And if you have no need for plastic fried eggs this year, you can also make a donation directly to No Kid Hungry.  And if you don't have need for a miniature toy shopping cart or cash to donate, you can always help raise awareness by checking out the campaign and spreading the good word on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, you decide.