• 
• No Kid Hungry

  Join the national movement of people committed to ending childhood hunger in America.

  Learn More »

• Cooking Matters

  Empowers families with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to prepare healthy and affordable meals.

  Learn More »

• Great American Dine Out

  Join us September 16-22, 2012 for the fifth annual Dine Out For No Kid Hungry!

  Learn More »

• Great American Bake Sale

  A national campaign that mobilizes Americans to end childhood hunger by holding bake sales in their communities.

  Learn More »

• Culinary Events

  Fine dining and tasting events that help make sure no kid in America grows up hungry.

  Find an Event »

No Kid Hungry Blog

Seeing My Hometown Through a New Lens

Posted by Katherine Van Steenburgh on Wednesday, March 24, 2010

One of the children who is served by Kids Meals every day.

Last week, I traveled with three other members of the Share Our Strength team to Houston, Texas, also my hometown. We led a group of twenty-two Share Our Strength supporters on a Hinges of Hope tour to visit the organizations that we fund and partner with in Houston. This trip allowed me to see my hometown from a completely new (and more accurate) lens.

The day was packed from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. During those 9 hours, the group was faced with two realities: childhood hunger exists, but so does a band of local leaders who are determined to end it.

We saw firsthand that hunger is a devastating crisis in Houston and in America. Texas has the highest rate of child food insecurity in the country (16.3%) and a quarter of children in Houston’s Harris County live at or below the poverty level. Last week, we met and talked with many parents and children who face hunger. Due to economic hardships and challenging circumstances, these families don’t always know where their next meal is going to come from.

However, I am thankful that the story doesn’t end there. We also met with committed leaders who fight hunger through innovative programs every day. We were able to visit with six different organizations throughout the day. We spent the morning with Kids Meals, a young organization that serves 1,200 healthy meals to kids 0-5 years old each day and by this summer plans to serve an additional 200 meals.

At Kids Meals we learned that because of one 8 year old boy, who was picking up sandwiches each day for himself and his little sister, Kids Meals changed the way they make all of their lunches. He asked the Kids Meals team not to put mustard and mayo on both pieces of bread, because he needed to save the bread for his dinner. This is only one example of the heart breaking realities that our team learned about last week.

At noon, we ate lunch at Small Steps Nurturing Center, a preschool and kindergarten for at risk children in Houston’s 5th ward. And during the afternoon we met with Target Hunger, the Houston Independent School District, The Houston Food Bank, and The Holthouse Boys and Girls Club.

Over the next few weeks, my colleague Alice and I will be sharing stories, photos, and lessons learned from this trip. For me, this will be a hometown report and a chance to learn new things about a place I assumed I knew. As we share stories from Houston, please join with us and share stories of hunger and hunger fighters from your city.

« Previous Entry  

Next Entry »

March 24, 2010 | 0 comment(s) | Tags: childhood hunger, education, school breakfast