Wednesday, April 29th, 2009...7:00 am
Unite for Hunger and Hope – Get Your Kids Involved
All it takes is one look at my blog and you can tell that I am passionate about teaching kids how to eat well and how to help others. While the two might not seem connected, they can work together beautifully to promote sustainability and help to end hunger.
After my educator study tour to Honduras with Heifer International, I am acutely aware of the hunger issues that families face across the globe. All over the world, families are being lifted out of poverty as they develop sustainable practices with livestock and agriculture and then pass on the gift and knowledge to neighboring communities.
I returned from that experience with more motivation than ever to promote sustainability at home and teach people the benefits of protecting our resources as they feed their families. In my cooking classes for kids, we share ideas of how we can share our food with those who are hungry. We cook for families that live in our local emergency family shelter, donate food to the soup kitchen and promote our local farmers. And each spring we work tirelessly to bake and sell delicious home-made treats to sell for the Great American Bake Sale, with all proceeds going towards ending childhood hunger.
Please leave a comment: What could you do with your children to help the hungry in your community?
5 Comments
April 29th, 2009 at 8:21 am
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April 29th, 2009 at 9:54 am
Such important issues. Fortunately, we live in a community that strives to get kids of all ages involved in feeding the needy. Many of our local organizations & school fundraisers revolve around collecting donations (mostly non-perishable food items) for non-profit agencies and shelters.
At home, I like to get our kids involved on a more personal level by donating time or food directly to area shelters, and by teaching them the principals behind sustainable agriculture as well as the value of purchasing locally produced foods. Even when eating out, we try to find and patronize business who donate foods locally as well. The kids really seem to enjoy finding established restaurants who are doing their part to feed the needy as well.
April 29th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Sandie. I love your idea of supporting local businesses that do their part. How do you find out which of your local shops and restaurants are charitable? Do your kids ask, or do you do the research ahead of time? Personally, we love supporting our local grocery store because of their generosity to our school and community.
April 29th, 2009 at 11:20 am
I need to cook more with my 4-year-old — she loves it! She is an active part of contributing to our local food shelf, and she’s very, very looking forward to gardening this summer. I certainly hope she means it, because I’m looking to expand our beds considerably.
Very cool about Honduras! We’ve given to Heifer International in the past… I’ll add it to the list for this year. Thanks!
April 30th, 2009 at 8:51 am
YankeeScents: You are lucky to have such an enthusiastic daughter! Give her a space of her own in the garden and she will be on board, for sure! And then she can help you cook what she has grown! Thanks, too, for adding Heifer to your list this year. They do amazing work!
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