Open Hearts = Big Results for Valley Kids Facing Hunger
Written by Valley of the Sun United Way
Published on Feb 16, 2015
Across our nation today, one- in- six people struggle to get enough to eat. Perhaps you have seen the 2013 documentary “A Place At the Table” that examines hunger around the nation. But do you know what hunger looks like for children in our community?
From your own child’s classmates, to a teammate in their youth sports league, you may be surprised who comprises the face of hunger right here in Maricopa County.
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Magnitude: 82,000 Valley households don’t know where there next meal is coming from. That is enough people to fill Chase Field five times!
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Food Insecurity: One-in-four Arizona children live in food-insecure households. If mom and dad are skipping a meal so that their children can eat, those households meet the description. In 2012, Arizona was among one of the top five states with the highest rate of food-insecure children under 18.*
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Impact: Teachers, like Reid DeSpiegelaere who teaches fifth grade at Balsz Elementary School in Phoenix, see first-hand how hunger impacts their students every day.
“If we truly want to educate our students in this country, they cannot go hungry,” he said.
But there’s hope! You can fill the young hearts and minds of hungry kids who need meals to get them through weekends. Just $30 feeds a child for one month through our WeekEnd Hunger Backpack program.
Show your love for Valley kids year-round. Feed a child this weekend.
Buy A Backpack »
*Cited from Feeding America.
