Friday, March 25, 2011

JC Dwyer speaks on Texas Hunger issues

JC Dwyer, Director of Public Policy for the Texas Food Bank Network, shares his experiences and expertise on hunger and hunger related issues including the history of food stamps, role of policy makers, and government entitlement programs.

Part 2
Part 3

Map the Meal Gap

After a year of research, Feeding America has release its "Map the Meal Gap" interactive map. The map contains detailed statistics and analysis of every county in the United States.  Statistics include percentage of hungry individuals, average cost of a meal, and funds needed to close the meal gap.  The map and more detailed information can be found here.

Breakfast in the Classroom - Feeding hungry students the most important meal of the day





from Share our Strength

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Share Our Strength Partners with Texas Hunger Initiative

    
      Share our Strength, the group behind No Kid Hungry (you may have seen their PSA's on Food Network) has partnered with the Texas Hunger Initiative in order to tackle a Texas sized problem with childhood food insecurity.  1 in 4 Texas children are food insecure, that's more than 1.5 million kids.
    The partnership was announced in February in Dallas.  Representatives from the Texas Hunger Initiative along with Dine Out for No Kid Hungry partners (including CiCi's pizza and Raising Cane's chicken) traveled around the city in a "Hinges of Hope" tour and witnessed multiple ways the problem of hunger is being addressed.  The tour focused on the work of the Wilkinson Center which operates a food pantry and connects struggling families with relevant resources.  Individuals who were given assistance by the Wilkinson Center gave personal testimonies about the ways they had been helped, including job training and education and shared about the positive effects such endeavors have had on their lives and families.
     The Texas Hunger Initiative's partnership with the No Kid Hungry campaign will officially launch this fall.

McLennan County Hunger Summit - April 12th

From the press release:

Hunger Issues for Children Topic of April 12 Summit

            According to the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer 2010 records McLennan County currently has more than 27,000 children eligible for the year-round free and reduced lunch program, but only about 3,000, or 11%, participate during the program in the summer when school is out of session. 
            A Hunger Summit aimed at bringing together area churches and community organizations to discuss issues of childhood hunger will be held 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. April 12 at the City of Waco Multipurpose Center, 1020 Elm Ave.

            The summit is a collaboration of the McLennan County Hunger Coalition, the Food Planning Task Force of McLennan County, and the Texas Hunger Initiative, housed in the Baylor School of Social Work.  City of Waco Mayor Jim Bush will speak at the event.
            “There is no reason for our children to go hungry during the summer,” said Jeremy Everett, THI director. “The resources are there if we can bring together the folks to host and distribute the food. Our goal is to eliminate childhood hunger this summer.”
            For more information, contact Danny Steis, communications specialist for Texas Hunger Initiative, at Danny_Steis@baylor.edu or by calling 254-710-7494.