Child Hunger Ends Here!

One in four children in America does not know where their next meal will come from.  Research indicates that even mild under-nutrition experienced by young children during critical periods of growth impacts their behavior, school performance, and cognitive development.  Children who are hungry  are at a disadvantage from their nourished peers.  Each school year there are 20.5 million children who depend on free or reduced-price school meals to help keep them from going hungry.

The above photo of the little girl with santa is me.  I was one of those children who received free or reduced lunches.  Each year we waivered at the income level between the two.  There was never a year of my childhood when my family did not qualify for free or reduced lunches.  At home our fridge consisted of mustard, bologna, eggs, butter, processed cheese, Kool-Aid, and milk.  Our cupboards had cereal, noodles, rice, and canned veggies.  The freezer sometimes had frozen ground beef and ice.  Fresh fruits and vegetables were purchased on pay day and rarely lasted more than a day or two.  Our desert was often rice pudding because it was so inexpensive to make.  I know first hand what it feels like to be a child who suffers from hunger.  From my past experiences I know exactly how important it is to feed children across America.

Children who suffer from hunger live in your neighborhood.  You see these children at school, the park, the mall, and even the grocery store.  Remember, one in four children across America suffers from childhood hunger.  These children span every race and location in America.  Hunger does not discriminate.

The ConAgra Foods Foundation is leading the charge to raise awareness of child hunger in America.  But they need our help!  Currently you can purchase foods specially marked with the Child Hunger Ends Here logo at Walmart.  Each specially marked item that you buy has a unique 8 digit code.  Once you are home you go to Child Hunger Ends Here to enter the 8 digit code.  You do not have to create an account or spend a lot of time on their site.  Simply enter those eight digits and you will donate one meal to be distributed by the Feeding America program.  As a token of their appreciation you will be directed to a coupon page where you can print one of eight coupons for your next purchase.

I created a This Moment slideshow documenting my shopping journey.

Foods included in the Child Hunger Ends Here program include: Peter Pan Peanut Butter, Banquet Frozen Meals, Kid Cuisine, Healthy Choice Soup, Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers, Healthy Choice Steamers, Chef BoyArdee Ravioli, and Marie Callender’s Frozen Meals.

To see just how easy it is to enter your codes, watch this video!

The next time you are at the grocery store think about purchasing just one item to help end childhood hunger in America.  Food banks across the nation always need your donations.  Giving up one coffee a week could provide a family with a jar of peanut butter that lasts 3 or 4 weeks.  If your purchase the Peter Pan peanut butter at Walmart with the Child Hunger Ends Here logo on it you could enter the code before you donated the jar and double your donation!  Please join me in this campaign to end childhood hunger.

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias.  All opinions in this post are completely honest.