We have the food to feed every child in America–but do we have the will?
Share Our Strength asks every one of us to join together in The Great American Dine Out to end childhood hunger. Almost 1 in 4 kids–nearly 17 million total–will struggle with hunger at one point in their childhood. They are not just statistics, though, they are our neighbors, our friends, and the future of our country. When children are hungry, they are more likely to be ill, miss school, have difficulty concentrating, and suffer from poor health later in life. All children deserve better than that.
Dawn Sandomeno of Party Blueprints Blog, in conjunction with Jacob’s Creek, invited several bloggers to Good Restaurant in Manhattan to learn more about the Great American Dine Out and how it helps to ensure that no kid goes hungry.
The Great American Dine Out - NYC Blogger Dinner with Jacob's Creek, hosted by Dawn Sandomeno. Photo By Cris Radice.
I was there representing Mamanista and learning more about Share Our Strength for Bloganthropy. I also had the honor and pleasure of dining with a number of highly intelligent, compassionate, and fun ladies: Colleen Curry of Jersey Bites, Nicole Caccavo Kear of A Mom Amok, Isabel Kalman of Alpha Mom, Kimberly Coleman of Mom in the City, Beth Feldman of Role Mommy, and Elizabeth Mascali who runs Party Blueprints Blog with Dawn Sandomeno.
Jenny Dirken of Share Our Strength explained how the Great American Dine Out supports the No Kid Hungry initiative, which seeks to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. We learned how Share Our Strength supports the best local initiatives to not only fill children’s bellies but to feed their growth with wholesome food and sustainable, long-term solutions.
Not only does Share Our Strength work to enroll more children in existing programs, the organization also teaches families how to plan, shop for, and cook healthy meals. Through bringing fresh foods to local urban corner stores and launching community gardens and farmers’ markets, Share Our Strength ensures that families can implement the information about nutrition for lasting effects.
I also chatted with Ashley Barrett about Jacob Creek’s support for Share Our Strength through their Share Initiative. Every time you “pour with a purpose” by buying a bottle of Jacob’s Creek, ordering a glass at a restaurant, or sharing a virtual glass online, Jacob’s Creek will donate $1 to Share Our Strength in honor of 150 years of wine-making.
If you enjoy dining out, you can find a participating restaurant, from popular chains to three star eateries, at the Great American Dine Out homepage. Don’t forget to RSVP to the Great American Dine Out Event on Facebook to show your support and enter to win prizes. Even if your own budget is too tight for dining out this week, you can still raise a virtual toast to ending childhood hunger in America.
