Share Breakfast With Your Small People and Other Little Ones in Need

March 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Joanna45Every morning my husband gets up at 4:30 in the morning and heads to the gym.  You might call him dedicated. Many do. Or crazy.  (I’ve done it) You might think his exercise regimen demands this of him, but what people often don’t realize is that his motivation is sleeping soundly as he wakes – one with freckles and chocolate brown eyes and the other a little blond guy who is currently missing three front teeth.

Jeff heads to the gym before the sun rises every morning so that he can be home to share breakfast with our sweet small people before they head to school each day.  I get them out of bed and dressed and as we head downstairs… there is their daddy, pouring milk on their cereal and cutting up fruit.  Instead of this ritual, he could be sleeping for an extra hour or more each morning and THEN heading to work to start his day, but this time is so important to him.

I can’t claim to be a morning person, but these three?  Are laughing, singing songs and telling jokes before I’m fully awake.  With everyone in a good mood, they share time, they share food and they share moments.  Sometimes, I just observe their banter, absorbing the calm before the chaos of trying to get out the door.  You know what I know? Many families don’t have this time.  Many dads don’t have the luxury of these moments – and there isn’t a single one he takes for granted.  He asks questions, quizzes them on past Presidents, and whips out multiplication flashcards.  He prepares their minds while he feeds their bellies, making sure they have everything they need to have the energy to learn.

Never for one moment have my children had to question if there would be enough for them to eat.  And yet one in five children have circumstances that are so far from what mine experience, it breaks my heart.  One in five children right here in the United States is hungry.

Hungry.

They, quite simply, don’t have enough to eat every day.  They head to school in the morning without breakfast, without the energy to focus and make it through the school morning.

For more than the past year now, I’ve been working with Kellogg’s and often talking about the beauty of breakfast in our home.  Today’s message is a little different.  I want to talk about Sharing Breakfast. Because Kellogg’s believes in the power of breakfast and its ability to give each of us – especially our small people – a great start, their ‘Share Breakfast‘ program with partner Action for Healthy Kids is working to change the number of kids who start their days without.

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And even better, you can help. And it is easy: it is some of what we do every day – Tweet or Pin or post a Facebook update.  When you do, use the #ShareBreakfast hashtag to help spread the message. Every time you do, the equivalent of one meal will be donated to a child.  .

Last week, I had the chance to chat for a few minutes with Actor Taye Diggs (Private Practice  - and one of my personal favorites, Stella Got Her Groove Back), the celebrity spokesperson for Share Breakfast.  His passion for this program is fueled in part by his role as a dad.  For me, making sure my small people are aware of the needs of others and that I model how to best to help is a priority.  Though Taye’s son is only a little guy, he did share with me a similar desire.

“We’re already planting the seed and as he gets older, we will introduce him to programs like this, because these are the types of things I think we are going to be involved in for the rest of our lives.  I think the most important thing to do is lead by example.”

Just look at the work already being done and the lives already changing…. this is Cypress Elementary in Kissimmee, Florida.

If you want to know a little more… this is a message from Taye Diggs…

Each time you watch and share these videos as well, you are ALSO making a difference.  As of this writing, the equivalent of more than 287,000 breakfasts have been donated.  The goal is ONE MILLION.  Will you help?  Watch a video. Share a video.  Tweet with #ShareBreakfast.  Post on Facebook.  It all helps – and it doesn’t cost you a penny.

Thank you for caring as I do.

I’m grateful once again, to be working with Kellogg’s.  I’m thrilled with the work they are doing to help hungry children and also – I’m delighted by the emphasis they put on breakfast – it is my children’s favorite meal. As always, all opinions and thoughts are mine alone.

 

 

 

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Country Superstars Little Big Town Join the Fight to End Child Hunger

November 16, 2012 by 2 Comments

I don’t think the numbers will ever stop being a shock to me.

One in Five.

I don’t think it will ever NOT hurt my heart to know there are millions of children right here in the United States who are hungry.

Nearly 17 million.

Unless of course, that number changes.

But it will only change if you and I do something.

I know that is asking a lot.  You likely have small people to feed.  And the holidays are coming.

And I bet you have charities that are close to your heart.

And, of course there is Sandy. Such a tragedy that I can even refer to her without including the ‘Hurricane’ and you still know what I’m talking about. So many of us have given to Sandy – and so many of our local food banks have chipped in, that the holidays will likely be tighter than normal.

But I still think it is important for you to KNOW child hunger is a problem. Even if you can’t help right now, you can tell someone else who can. Spreading the word? That helps.  Because this is important to me, because I think about how lucky we are every time I pack my children’s lunch for school or make them a meal, I’ve partnered, once again with Con Agra Foods and Child Hunger Ends Here.

I spent a few days this week in Nashville, visiting the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and talking with Child Hunger Ends Here’s latest advocates, country superstars (and now two-time CMA winners) Little Big Town. This group is involved, because, like me, they ache at the thought of children waking up, trying to learn, or going to bed hungry.

Together we packed backpacks for the Food Bank’s backpack program. There are 8500 kids in the program. Eight-thousand-five-hundred kids in a 46-country area.  And after the first of the year, that number will increase by 15% because the Food Bank has received a grant from WalMart.

Think about that: 8500 kids already and there are MORE in need.

How can you help if you are so inclined:

* Donate food to your local food bank – proteins and shelf stable foods are always in need.

* Donate money. According to Feeding America $1 is equivalent to 8 meals. THINK ABOUT THAT. If we gave the change in our cars each week, we’d provide at least 8 meals.

* Volunteer – Your local Food Banks can always use help….some will allow you to bring your kids at certain times.  Just call and ask. If you are looking for other ways to teach your children to give back, start here.

* Talk about it – It may sound too easy, but educating people about this problem…telling them there are simple ways to help – it all makes a difference.

I was delighted to interview Little Big Town about their involvement in this campaign.  I’m excited to share it with you soon.

 As I have in the past, I have partnered with Con Agra Foods and Child Hunger Ends Here, though all thoughts and opinions shared here are my own.
Photo Courtesy: AP

 

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Turning Gratitude Into Motivation: Eleven Things Food Banks Need This Holiday Season

November 14, 2011 by 4 Comments

I’m not much for cliches… in fact, they typically make me break out in hives, however, poet Thomas Haynes Bayly was on to something when he first penned, “absence makes the heart grow fonder” back in 1884.  At least that seems to be the case for the small people and I.  Having spent the better part of the past six weeks apart, we ‘re behaving like conjoined twins.

When we aren’t physically separated for something serious, like….say, school… we are somehow in each other’s presence.  They won’t eat dinner without sitting in chairs that are touching mine, they won’t change for bedtime without me in the room, they won’t do homework without me leaning over their shoulders.

I am grateful for them.  And though we always talk so much about gratitude in November as we lead up to Thanksgiving, I don’t need this holiday to be reminded of their love and gratitude for me.

And yet – this holiday will be extra special for the time we will have together.  For the presence we will experience, for the gratitude I can teach, for the food we will prepare and share together.

I’ve seen gratitude posts popping up daily on Facebook – once a day for the month of November, many of my friends are taking the time to focus on what they are most grateful for in their lives.  I love this.  It is powerful to focus our energies in a positive way AND being that there are 30 days in the month, we are forced to move past the basics of kids, extended family, health and a roof over our heads.

Oh….. and food.

Whenever we talk Thanksgiving, food is ALWAYS top of mind.  What will you cook?  What is your favorite dish? Where will you be eating?  Does eating too much turkey REALLY make you sleepy?

But while we are busy saying ‘Thank you”…. (an important thing to do, absolutely), it is easy to forget that for 1 in 6 Americans (1 in 4 KIDS)…. these questions don’t even matter.  Because they are hungry. And they aren’t even sure where their next meal will come from – let alone a holiday meal.

If this is your first time visiting me here, you probably don’t know I’m passionate about ending Child Hunger.  If you’ve stopped by before, you’ve heard me talk about this already. I figured now, as I’m surrounded by the goodness that is my small people, I would share something you might not know…  there are 11 items that are most IN NEED at food banks during the holiday season.

This list was compiled by Feeding America:

  1. Cereal
  2. Pasta
  3. Rice
  4. Canned fruits and vegetables
  5. Canned meals such as soups, chili, pasta
  6. 100% juice
  7. Peanut butter
  8. Pasta sauce or spaghetti sauce
  9. Macaroni & cheese
  10. Canned protein – tuna, chicken, turkey
  11. Beans – canned or dry

So, this is me, giving you a gentle nudge – a love tap, if you will…. if you can spare any of these items in the next few weeks, I promise you they won’t go to waste.  Since my efforts to end Child Hunger have been dedicated to the Child Hunger Ends Here program through Con Agra Foods for the last few years, it is worth pointing out that Hunts’ Chef Boyardee, Peter Pan and Manwich are just a few of the Con Agra brands that supply some of the 11 items listed above.

Also – Child Hunger Ends Here is working in collaboration with School’s Fight Hunger.  To register your school or for more information on how your school might get involved, read more.

 

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Ending Childhood Hunger locally and nationally

March 29, 2010 by 4 Comments

When I am hungry I eat. I head to the pantry. I open the fridge and I scavenge…a bite of this, a nibble of that.

My kids have the same luxury.

That’s right – luxury.

They beg for goldfish….barter for string cheese…lobby for just something out of the candy bowl.

When you consider that there are nearly 17 million kids (that’s one in four)* here in the United States….how could you call it anything other than a luxury?

Let’s make that number LOCAL…  I live in St. Louis, Missouri.

I am one of 5.9 million people who live here in the Show-Me State.  Of that number, 24% are under the age of 18 (census).  That means 1.4 million children live in Missouri.

20% are hungry. TWENTY-PERCENT.

That means there are 283,200 hungry kids right here.

Picture those goldfish dripping with gold, each string of string cheese ripping free with jewels attached….and candy? Well….that is the platinum of food – and it isn’t even good for them.

It makes my heart hurt.

Since I’ve heard the statistics…I have found myself counting children everywhere I go.

At the park….8 kids on the playground. Two might be hungry.

In the parking lot of any school……hundreds hopping out of their cars….dozens might not have had breakfast and may not have lunch.

Childhood Hunger Facts:

  • A child doesn’t have to be homeless to be hungry
  • Hunger affects kids you don’t know, and kids you do
  • Some states have a child hunger rate as high as 25%
  • The official term is ‘food insecurity’ – which means these kids (and naturally many adults) live – day to day either hungry or in fear of starvation.

I have told you about my experience as a child. Now that I know the signs, I know I went to school with kids who were hungry.

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The difference between now and then? I now know I can help. And so can you.

ConAgra Foods has teamed with Feeding America to create a campaign to fight this insidious problem.

Childhood Hunger Ends Here.

Easily the best part of the campaign is simply how easy it is to make a difference.

The Small Steps to Ending Childhood Hunger:

It is easier than you think.

  • Turn an existing local event – a community garage sale, school bake sale, church rummage sale, carnival or lemonade stand into a Hunger Ending Rally.
  • Register online.
  • Receive a rally toolkit – including a banner, four posters, a lapel pin, coupons to share and a rally guide/information kit.
  • Give the proceeds, or a portion of them to Feeding America through the website.  (As long as you donate online, the proceeds will stay in your local community.

I will be hosting a rally of my own and have many ideas spinning in my head about the best way to reach the largest number of people with this message.

People need to know CHILDREN SHOULD NEVER GO HUNGRY.

More than anything – I love the idea of kids helping kids.

What would be the easiest way for you and your kids to get involved?  Would it be a lemonade stand?  A bake sale? A food drive? A family dinner where you ask relatives to help?

I would love to hear your suggestions.

Come on….you know you have one.

In the coming weeks, I will be highlighting people who are making a difference.  I would love to showcase your fight against Childhood Hunger.

** Source: USDA Economic Research Service
**Participating Con Agra Food Brands: Healthy Choice, Manwich, Orville Redenbacher, Marie Callendar’s, Peter Pan Peanut Butter, Chef Boyardee and Banquet.

ExtraordinaryMommy.com was chosen to participate in the Childhood Hunger Ends Here Campaign.  We are receiving a stipend for participation, though opinions expressed in related posts are ours and ours alone and can not be influenced in any way.

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