The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 15 percent of American families, 17.4 million people, are currently considered food insecure. Meaning that 17.4 million Americans struggle to obtain healthy food to fuel their minds and bodies on a daily basis. Imagine reaching into your pantry for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, your favorite snack, and the bag is gone. Not only are your Cheetos are missing, but so is everything else. No food. A stark pantry. Hard to imagine right?
The reality is that there are many Americans who aren’t as fortunate as you and I. They never have experienced the pleasure of ripping open a brand new bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Millions of Americans go home to empty fridges and pantries every night. As the holidays are quickly approaching, I can’t help but think about families who are classified as food insecure. My kitchen, during the months of December and January, is overflowing with food, including turkey and decadent cookies.
It makes me sick knowing that I have access to a sickening amount of food where others may not eat for days at a time during the holiday season. So, here comes my motto: tis’ the season to help others. It’s time to join the battle against hunger, and make a tangible difference in the lives of hungry families right here in America. Feeding Children Everywhere (FCE), based in Sanford Florida, is a social charity that is making a difference in this battle everyday, one meal at a time.
Feeding Children Everywhere empowers and mobilizes people to assemble healthy meals for hungry children. FCE hosts Hunger Projects that bring volunteers together to assemble healthy meals for those in need. FCE’s lentil casserole consists of four key ingredients: rice, lentils, a blend of six dehydrated vegetables and pink Himalayan salt. The meal is all natural, soy free, glutenfree, preservative free, GMO free, kosher certified, and vegan. Nutritionists in Florida formulated the meal, and it is beneficial for both the mind and body. For every dollar received, FCE is able to assemble four meals. Hunger projects are a fun way to get everyone involved regardless of age.
Don and his wife Kristen Campbell founded FCE after the Haitian earthquake in 2010. The Campbell’s wanted to help the families that were displaced and lacking basic necessities such as food and water due to the disaster. Driven by the desire to make a difference in the lives of others, Don and Kristen spent $9,000, their entire life savings, to start Feeding Children Everywhere.
With the help of their family, friends, and other local volunteers, FCE sent 250,000 meals to Haiti within the first ninety days of operation. The FCE mission did not end there. Don and Kristen quickly realized the hunger epidemic was affecting people abroad as well as close to home. This social charity has helped feed hungry children all over the world for the last five years. FCE’s largest Hunger Project to date, Project 3, successfully mobilized and empowered 10,000 volunteers to package two million meals throughout the United States. Since then, FCE has packaged and distributed 38 million meals worldwide.
This year FCE intends to send millions of meals to schools and crisis food pantries around the United States, in an effort to allow more families to sit at the dinner table with a healthy meal during this holiday season. It’s time for us to make a difference in the lives of hungry families. We should take Feeding Children Everywhere’s lead this holiday season and join in the fight against hunger.
