No Kid Hungry

We're ending childhood hunger in America.

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An Apple A Day: Teen Celeb Skai Jackson Just Pledged Her Support. Get The Basics On No Kid Hungry Campaign

By Cored News

No Kid Hungry is a nationwide campaign with the goal of ending child hunger in the United States. Want to know a little bit more about how it works? 

This mini article explains the campaign in four parts. “Seeds” offer a bit of background on the campaign and how it was started. “Core” explains the main projects the campaign is working on. “Skin” tells you about some of the celebrities that advocate for the campaign. “Leaves” examine what kinds of projects donations are funding.

Seeds: Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign got its start in response to a severe Ethiopian famine in 1984. Since then, the organization has worked on various projects to help end child hunger in the U.S., including programs that teach low-income families about healthy cooking, a project that encourages kids, families, and bakers to raise money for those in need, and many more. The tagline “No Kid Hungry” was added to the brand in 2008.

Core: Currently, the campaign is focussing on six main platforms. The first is “Dine Out For No Kid Hungry”, a fundraising event every September. where restaurants and their diners help raise money for the campaign. Then there is “Bake Sale For No Kid Hungry” which gives step-by-step guides on how to host bakes sales so the proceeds may go to the campaign. Also, there is “Generation No Kid Hungry” (what you’re reading right now!) which focuses on inspiring young leaders to be advocates for hungry children. If you want to read about the other three, here is a link.

Skin: Disney star Skai Jackson (you might have seen her in Disney’s TV series “Bunk’d” or the TV movie “The Watsons Go to Birmingham” ) recently joined No Kid Hungry’s team of passionate supporters. She shares No Kid Hungry’s message of youth hunger awareness to her 27 million Instagram followers. Actor Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski, True Grit, or The Giver) has been a strong advocate for the campaign over the years, and actress and singer Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl) has also served as a spokesperson for the campaign. Singer P!NK (remember her songs “Just Like Fire” and “Just Give Me A Reason”) has also offered her support, both via event attendance and social media.

Leaves: Proceeds to the campaign go towards connecting kids with food where they live, learn and play. Through the “Cooking Matters” program, they give families the tools they need to cook healthy meals and stretch their food budgets where they live. The campaign works with schools around the country to ensure kids aren’t hungry by making breakfast a part of the school day, where kids learn. And make sure kids can still get meals and take part in activities that keep them healthy and happy during the summer time, when at play.

Still #HungryFor more? Check out: No Kid Hungry

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No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassadors are an amazing group of college students working across the country to end childhood hunger in their community. Learn more about Anisa Shaw!

Name: Anisa Shaw

Where do you go to school?: University of Michigan

Where are you working?: Greater Chicago Food Depository

Describe Yourself in a GIF:

What’s the best song currently in rotation for you: How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) - James Taylor

What are 3 things that you’re working on this summer:

Canvassing in North Lawndale, a high needs neighborhood in Chicago, to increase awareness and participation of the summer meals program.

Social media strategies to increase social reach about the summer meals program.

Data formatting and administrative duties to keep information about summer meal sites up to date.

What’s been your favorite part about being a Youth Ambassador?: My favorite part about being a Youth Ambassador is working outreach and being a part of my wonderful COFI team.

What’s one thing you’ve learned this summer?: I have learned so much about the power of community. I have learned a great deal of this from the COFI parent team I canvass with.  COFI stands for Community Organizing and Family Issues, and is centered on a family focused approach. Their passion for ending childhood hunger has shown me that with motivation and support, so much can be accomplished.

What would you say to someone your age looking to get involved: You will come out of your involvement with No Kid Hungry and Share our Strength truly passionate about ending childhood hunger!

If you could tell the world one thing about the issue of hunger, what would it be: Summer does not have to be the hungriest time of the year!

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No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassador Spotlight: Ben Riley

No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassadors are an amazing group of college students working across the country to end childhood hunger in their community. Learn more about Ben Riley!

Name: Ben Riley

Where do you go to school?: Baylor University

Where are you working?: Texas Hunger Initiative (THI)

Describe Yourself in a GIF:

What’s the best song currently in rotation for you?: “Keep Your Heart Young” - Brandi Carlile

What are 3 things that you’re working on this summer?:

I’ve been helping staff members prepare for testimonies to be presented at the National Commission on Hunger meeting in El Paso, TX, and I’ve also been doing some policy research in preparation for congressional committee hearings.

THI staff has organized and conducted several focus group interviews, and I’ve been using qualitative analysis software to compile summary reports for these focus group transcripts.

In an effort to engage new and existing community partners, THI publishes a “toolkit” that guides and aids the efforts of food planning associations in local communities. I have been reading through these materials and providing suggestions and revisions to make them more user friendly.

What’s been your favorite part about being a Youth Ambassador?: The people I get to work with. This summer I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of an amazing team surrounded by passionate, intelligent, hard-working co-workers, and they have inspired me to keep working to combat hunger in our community.

What’s one thing you’ve learned this summer?: I’ve learned that issues like food insecurity are very complex and many stakeholders are involved. Thus, in order to ensure that people can access resources, collaboration is essential. Organizations working to address hunger need to work with each other and avoid working in independent silos.

What would you say to someone your age looking to get involved?:Working for THI as a Youth Ambassador has been a fulfilling, stimulating experience that has allowed me to view complex issues like hunger in a new light. Many times we realize problems exist and we like to complain about injustice, but this internship allowed me to actively participate in addressing a serious need in the community. It feels good to be a part of something bigger than myself, and I would encourage other college students to take advantage of this impactful opportunity.

If you could tell the world one thing about the issue of hunger, what would it be?: Hunger is a real and prevalent struggle. Besides the obvious, immediate symptoms of hunger, there are many lifelong side affects. Children need proper nutrition to develop intellectually, emotionally, and physically. In a society where education is essential and necessary, many children are unable to concentrate and perform because of their inadequate nutrition. If we want our country to have a bright future, we must make an investment in making sure our children have access to consistent nutritious meals.

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Generation No Kid Hungry Q&A - Aidan Mellies

Name: Aidan Mellies

Where do you go to school? Cleveland High School

Why did you start volunteering with No Kid Hungry and what's kept you involved?

I've only just begun! I was looking for service to do and my mother suggested that I use my knowledge of healthy and low expense shopping to help out with her on a tour. I am also on my way to becoming an Eagle Scout and I wanted to partake in a service project that meant something to me and that I knew I could use my skill set for.

What has been your favorite part about volunteering with Cooking Matters at the Store?

It means a lot to me to give back to people and to the community. Knowing that I helped families both stay healthy and stretch their dollar was the most satisfying part. That exact moment came when the tour members gave feedback that they had all learned something helpful.

If you could tell the world one thing about the issue of hunger, what would it be?

Making sure that everyone is fed is a priority, and nobody deserves to be overlooked. You cannot learn or function if you are underfed, so we have to each do our best and individual parts to ensure that we take steps to end hunger.

Describe yourself in a meme or GIF:

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No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassador Spotlight: Riya Rahman

No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassadors are an amazing group of college students working across the country to end childhood hunger in their community. Learn more about this weeks highlighted ambassador, Riya Rahman!

Name: Nawrin Riya Rahman                      

Where you go to school: Baylor University

Where you’re working: The Texas Hunger Initiative

Describe Yourself in a GIF:

What’s your favorite song currently in rotation?: East of Eden by Zella Day

What are 3 things that you’re working on this semester:

I have researched the members of the Senate Agriculture Committee and figured out how to advocate for the issue through legislation.  I have worked on the Drive to Hunger Awareness event, and I am one step closer to making it a semi-annual event on campus every year. I have organized an advocacy trip for students to talk about the issue of child hunger to legislators.

What’s been your favorite part about being a Youth Ambassador:

I love getting to use my voice to help children in need. I think student voices are often underutilized, and I am so proud to get to bring awareness to this important issue just by engaging my peers.

If you could tell the world one thing about the issue of hunger, what would it be:

Children do not get to choose their living conditions, and no child chooses to go hungry. Children are couriers of the American legacy, they deserve every opportunity and advantage, but food is a basic right.

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No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassador Spotlight: Janine Signore

No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassadors are an amazing group of college students working across the country to end childhood hunger in their community. Learn more about this weeks highlighted ambassador, Janine Signore! 

Name: Janine Signore

Where you go to school: The University of Saint Joseph

Where you’re working this semester: End Hunger CT

Describe Yourself in a GIF:

What’s your favorite song currently in rotation: Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars

What are 3 things that you’re working on this semester:

This semester I am working on the Cooking Matters classes, the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program.

What’s been your favorite part about being a Youth Ambassador:

My favorite part about being a YA is visiting school food service programs and seeing that the work we do is making a profound difference in the lives of the children in CT.

If you could tell the world one thing about the issue of hunger, what would it be:

It is overwhelming to think that today over 48 million Americans struggle with food insecurity. It may seem impossible to overcome the issue of hunger, but TOGETHER, we can and will end hunger. In the words of Nelson Mandela, “It always seems impossible, until it is done.”

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No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassador Spotlight: Monnica Asuncion

Name: Monnica Asuncion

Where you go to school: George Mason University

Where you’re working this semester: Catholic Charities USA in Alexandria, VA

Describe Yourself in a GIF: 

What’s the best song currently in rotation for you: Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield (throwback to The Hills!)

What are 3 things that you’re working on this semester:\

This semester, I have been helping with managing the grant application process for Cooking Matters at the Store for national Catholic Charities agencies. I keep in contact with each agency and analyze their progress through an online reporting system. I also attend meetings and conferences to support the planning process for Summer nutrition programs.

What’s been your favorite part about being a Youth Ambassador: 

Being a Youth Ambassador has given me the opportunity to be involved in solving child hunger and raise awareness about an important issue that is affecting the younger generation. This opportunity inspires me to continue to do work that is meaningful and make a positive impact on my community.

If you could tell the world one thing about the issue of hunger, what would it be: 

Those who are always hungry aren't able to do something productive in the world to make it a better place.

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Hunger doesn’t take a vacation. Spring break can be a very hungry time for kids who rely on school meals. Team No Kid Hungry is working to change that. 

Over the next few weeks, #TeamNKH will be hosting a the #SpringBreakChallenge — a series of easy-to-tackle missions dedicated to raising awareness of No Kid Hungry.

And did we mention you can win prizes? All you have to do is complete the following mission checklist.

Make sure to use the hashtag #SpringBreakChallenge with every mission you complete!

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"It matters if you just don't give up." -Stephen Hawking

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Learn more about how you can make a difference here.

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Spent the day helping @nokidhungry's #SummerMeals program. Families can text FOOD to 877-877 to find more info on #NoKidHungry food distribution locations and help provide meals for cuties, like this little guy!

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To find out more about the fight against hunger in the United States, watch Invisible US on December 3rd and 4th at 4 PM EST. 

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Jeff Bridges Interview: Throughout an Iconic Acting Career, Music Remains a Powerful Force

Check out Jeff Bridges interview! He mentions No Kid Hungry!

Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Any upcoming projects you’d like to discuss?

Jeff Bridges: ... I was just at a film festival, as a matter of fact, for a film I made with T-Bone Burnett called A Place at the Table all about hunger in America. That’s something else I’m working on. I’ve been the national spokesperson for Share Our Strength-No Kid Hungry campaign for about four years, so that’s an ongoing project of mine.

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