“WE CAN CHANGE LIVES IN AN INSTANT.” That’s my quote and the motto I live by. There are so many ways to make someone feel special and cared for. As home chefs, sharing what we love to do with others is the perfect opportunity to do that. We can put together great potlucks, share leftovers with friends and family at work or school, invite someone for dinner who is alone, and gather neighbors and those in our communities who need to be included but may be too afraid to ask or reach out. This includes single people, too… those who don’t have families or partners and need — and want to feel a part of.
We live in the richest country in the world and it is simply unacceptable that the most vulnerable people in our society — kids and the elderly — are hungry.
This needs to change.
And this is why I am sharing the work of two phenomenal national organizations whose mission it is to end hunger in America: No Kid Hungry and Meals on Wheels.
Armed with the knowledge of ways we can help, I hope to expand my network of friends to help feed kids and seniors everywhere. Making an impact in our own communities is easy… whether by donation, attending an event, fundraising, volunteering, organizing, or getting involved by preparing meals… we can solve this problem together.
No Kid Hungry presented Taste of A Nation here in Chicago on August 29th. It was a wonderful evening and here are some of the highlights. Suffice it to say, this was my favorite stand at the event:
They were filming The Wit’s offerings…
Here’s one of my favorite desserts from one of my favorite restaurants: The Gage… and yes, these tiny glass jars are available!
The bottom line is: No one should go hungry. And the facts are astonishing:
- 1 in 6 children in the United States faces hunger.
- 10 million seniors live alone or in isolation and go hungry.
While many of us are lucky enough to enjoy summer BBQ’s, dining out, or creating amazing meals for family and friends… for many, “summer fun” is the time when many kids are most vulnerable:
“5 out of 6 kids who rely on free or reduced-price school meals aren’t getting free meals in the summer.”
Millions of kids rely on school for regular meals. But in the summer, those meals disappear. No Kid Hungry is helping community leaders with the funding and know-how they need to start summer meals sites, as well as advocating for needed changes to the national summer meals program. Currently, the national summer meals programs reaches just 16 percent of the children who need help when school is out of session.
Seniors who live alone and are often vulnerable and isolated should not be forgotten:
Even the most independent among us, if fortunate to live long enough, may experience a decline in mobility or health that can strip away our independence and diminish the quality of our lives. Great advances in medicine have extended our average life expectancy to a record high of 78.7 years. Living longer means more years spent in the struggles that accompany old age. Add to that the increase in geographic mobility of our families and the result is millions of seniors left behind, hungry and alone.
Meals on Wheels has a program called “Let’s Do Lunch.” Have a look at these videos. Become a part of making someone’s day special.
And here is the best part…whether you participate in the organizations I’ve mentioned, or give-back in your own way, we can share our strength, our abundance, and make a difference together.
Let’s help feed everyone… every day.
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Tracey Ryan Kreiling says
Barbara,
What a lovely article. I love your voice through words! Congratulations!
Tracey
Barbara Hobart says
Thank you, Tracey!