Share a Meal: Bringing Awareness to Childhood Hunger

This is a sponsored conversation by Unilever and Project Sunlight. All opinions are mine alone.

Share A Meal: Bringing Awareness to Childhood Hunger

Is There a Hungry Child Living on Your Street?

Through my partnership with Unilever Project Sunlight Feeding America and the #ShareAMeal Campaign, I learned that 1 in 5 children in America do not know where their next meal is coming from, yes, that is 1 in 5! In their documentary, they are using the term “food insecure.” The faces of children who are food insecure are the faces of the children in our communities.

There are now 16 million children struggling with hunger here in the United States. Combine the populations of Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago to get a picture of the vastness of the problem. Their parents have been affected by illness, death of a spouse, or job loss, and in turn these families are relying on food banks and the kindness of neighbors to help them through these challenging times.

Imagine a child struggling with homework and school activities, while wondering if they are going to have a meal to eat tonight. It is very hard to fathom when you have more than enough.

I have to admit that my heart has hardened as everyday I see adults asking for money in the shopping centers, off-ramps and parking lots in my town. I want to help, but how do we know where those donations are going?

We can give our change and dollars and hope for the best, or do nothing.

There is another option thanks to Unilever Project Sunlight and Feeding America. Watching their original documentary will inspire and encourage all of us to see what the promise of a shared meal can do, right on our street, and in our communities. It is simple and yet has a profound impact on everyone.

After you have watched the documentary, ask your family members if they know of someone at school, at work, or a neighborhood family that might be having trouble putting food on the table.

Then take advantage of the fantastic resource that Unilever Project Sunlight and Feeding America have put together to find small yet significant ways to make our dollars and our time count in the effort to end childhood hunger here in the United States.

We can see how others have come out of our their comfort zones to help struggling families while allowing those families to maintain their dignity and enjoy the simple act of a shared meal.

Not only will you impact the family in need, your own family will be richer for the experience.

In addition to sharing a meal, consider these additional ways to make a difference:

• Enlist  the help of your neighbors and family to chip in and put together some extra food for a local family.

• Host a potluck and invite neighboring families for a dinner.

• Partner with a local community organization and host a community potluck

• Organize your own food drive for a needy family in your community

Use the Feeding America Food Bank Locator to get in touch with a local food bank and volunteer at a food drive

Host a virtual food drive- you can set up your own page using the Feeding America Personal Fundraiser Tool and promote participation among your friends and family

Take a minute to visit Project Sunlight today and be excited about getting involved. Stay tuned for my experience!

We welcome your comments and your ideas using the hashtag #ShareAMeal.

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