Have you ever gotten the munchies, scanned the fridge and scoured the cupboards only to yell, "Mom! There's nothing to eat!" You've probably also fed the dog your nasty brussel sprouts when no one was looking, or hid them in the napkin to be tossed out later. Admit it, you're guilty. We've all done it. Well, sadly... maybe not ALL of us. Did you know that nine million kids in the US receive emergency food assistance every year? They'd have gladly scarfed down those brussel sprouts or anything else that was in your fridge at the moment.
Second Harvest - Hunger Facts
It's a
scary fact that last year, many families had to choose between buying food or paying for housing (rent or mortgages). Lots of kids go to school
without having breakfast, they don't eat lunch and they sometimes don't have much (if anything) for supper. But Second Harvest is one of the
charitable organizations that is trying to fix all that.
Second Harvest - Food Bank Support
Second Harvest is the
largest US hunger relief association. They have over
200 food banks and food programs that donate food to over 50,000 charitable organizations for
distribution to hungry Americans. Second Harvest covers
all 50 states, and Puerto Rico, and they've helped 73% of America's poor kids
snag good eats. How cool is that?
Second Harvest - How You Can Help
So why are we telling ya about these peeps at Second Harvest? Because their
heroic attempts at aiding the hungry are worth mentioning - and maybe you can get involved. If you're planning a
Halloween party, Christmas party,
New Year's party or any kind of get-together, why not ask your buds to bring something that could be
donated? It's not hard to raid your
kitchen cupboards and grab a canned good (green beans, corn, Chef Boyardee, etc.) or dry food item (cereal, crackers or pasta) that you can donate to the
Second Harvest branch near you. You could also suggest that your school do this at the
next big dance or event. Chatter about food banks is usually high around
the holidays, like
Thanksgiving and
Christmas, but
people are hungry year-round. Anytime
you can help, it's appreciated.
To find a Second Harvest branch near you, check out www.secondharvest.org.
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