You may recall last November during E4K that we announced our focus for the coming year, which is addressing childhood hunger. This week we share another story of one of our regional representatives reaching out to their community in order to turn our plans into action.
When many people think of the state of Florida, they may picture sun-drenched beaches and ocean views. It’s all about spring break, family vacations, and endless summer. What many might not know is that Florida is also one of four states with the highest child food-insecurity rates in the country. With funds raised during E4K, our South East US regional representative Emily Rivera-Jackson stepped in to help ease the burden for multiple organizations who support families in need.
More Than Just Education
In many communities, at least in the United States, the easiest way to identify food-insecure children is through the school system. As the school year winds to a close, many children lose that daily meal that their families may rely heavily on in order to keep their kids fed. All Faiths Food Bank in Sarasota is one organization which directly addresses the heightened need during the summer months when school is not in session. As a member of Feeding America, Feeding Florida, and many other national organizations dedicated to alleviating childhood hunger, All Faiths was a great non-profit for Emily to connect with for her kindness act.
Throughout the month of April, Emily made a number of deliveries to All Faiths, helping specifically to feed hungry children at Atwater Elementary and Lamarque Elementary in the Sarasota County school district. Emily reported that this school district alone served over 300 homeless children. She also mentioned that the number one food item that they simply could not keep stocked was cereal. So she made sure to include a large donation of cereal along with peanut butter, jelly, spaghetti, snack foods, and more.
The Kindness Continues
Our focus on addressing childhood hunger continues all year long, in this and many other communities throughout the world. Our goal, as always, is to make the most impact with your donations. Follow the #RANoHungryChild tag on social media to read about continuing acts of kindness for hungry kids!