Hunger is a serious, pervasive, and very real problem for many Americans
Aug 23, 2012: Nearly 1 in 5 Americans reported they didn’t have enough money to pay for food at times this year, according to a new Gallup poll out this week. Moreover, poll results by state show that in some regions of the country, like the South, close to a quarter of residents have struggled to feed their families.

School Meals: Improving Lunch Access
Mar 15, 2012: Many states are trying to streamline free and reduced-price school lunch access while boosting participation....

Colorado Schools Awarded For Increasing School Breakfast Participation
Feb 2, 2012: Clayton Elementary School Principal Nicole Westfall in Englewood, Colorado has seen firsthand the difference that the Breakfast in the Classroom program has had with her students. “Teachers are reporting increased participation and attention from students and a dramatic increase in endurance. Our families are happier too. They are reporting much less stressful mornings.” Over the past year, Clayton Elementary has seen a 72 percent increase in the School Breakfast Program.

School Meals: Already Doing It
Jan 31, 2012: Another example of schools which have already successfully implemented improved nutrition standards....

New USDA Guidelines for School Food: Can They Be Met?
Jan 27, 2012: For the first time in 15 years, the USDA has updated and improved the nutritional guidelines for school food.

Healthy Foods: More On New USDA Standards
Jan 26, 2012: The Salt, NPR’s food blog, covered the new USDA nutrition standards for school meals....

Share Our Strength Applauds New School Nutrition Standards
Jan 25, 2012: Today, the USDA announced new and improved nutrition standards for school meals under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. These updated standards give kids greater access to healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and whole-grains in their school meals.

A Conversation with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack
Oct 3, 2011: The NPR food blog, has a conversation with Secretary Vilsack about nutrition, SNAP benefits and potatoes in school meals....

Share Our Strength's Bill Shore on the New Statistics Showing Record Number of Americans Living in Poverty
Sep 13, 2011: Share Our Strength | September 13 - The Census Bureau today released their annual statistics showing the extent of the poverty crisis in the United States in 2010. [Census Report]...

USDA: Increased Food Aid Kept Hunger Rate Steady
Sep 9, 2011: NPR, All Things Considered | September 8 - Despite the bad economy, the number of Americans who struggled to get enough to eat did not grow last year, and in some cases declined, according to new government data. Still, a...

US Food Hardship Rates Still High, But Hold Steady
Sep 9, 2011: Kansas City Star | September 7 - More than 17.2 million households had difficulty feeding family members at some point last year, as the rate of “food insecurity” in the U.S. continued to hover at near-record levels, according to a...

In the News: USDA Releases 2010 Food Security Data
Sep 8, 2011: The USDA Food Insecurity annual report was released yesterday. As noted, this year’s rate was virtually unchanged from last year, continuing the prevalence of the highest food insecurity numbers seen in the 16 years that the government has been keeping track.

New USDA Numbers Show High Food Insecurity Numbers Continue, Value Of Food Nutrition Programs
Sep 7, 2011: Share Our Strength | September 7 - According to new numbers released this morning by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 14.5 percent - or 17.2 million American households - were unable to consistently put food on their tables for their...

Collaborating to Put an End to Childhood Hunger in Colorado
Jul 12, 2011: In an effort to ensure that children around the state of Colorado have access to adequate, nutritious food year round, Governor John Hickenlooper (D-CO) strongly supports the Campaign to End Childhood Hunger. This initiative, spearheaded by the USDA’s Summer Food Services Program, gives testimony to the increased capabilities of a collaborative when compared to an individual organization. In Alamosa, this fact is depicted most by the daily provision of free summer meals for local children, administered by the Boys and Girls Club of the San Luis Valley. To show his support for the initiative, Governor Hickenlooper visited the Club to speak to the severity of childhood hunger. As he shared an exciting and chatter-filled lunch with more than 150 children at the Club, it was easy to see the significant impact that the Summer Food Service Program is having on this community.

"MyPlate" Replaces USDA's Food Pyramid
Jun 3, 2011: Yesterday, I was pleased to join First Lady Michelle Obama, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin at the launch of MyPlate, the government’s new icon to help Americans make healthier food choices. The colorful plate is a streamlined version of MyPyramid, which many of you may remember learning in school.

Mini Grants Go a Long Way
Jun 1, 2011: It's getting hot in DC – a very present reminder that summer “vacation” is nearly here. Unfortunately, for many kids at risk of hunger, the only vacation they are getting is from the breakfast and lunch that they could rely on from school meals. Across the country, of the kids who participate in free and reduced price school lunch, only about 16% participate in a summer meals program.

Photos From Yesterday’s No Kid Hungry Los Angeles Launch
Mar 17, 2011: Yesterday’s launch of No Kid Hungry Los Angeles was a huge success. See photos from the day's events!

No Kid Hungry Launches in L.A.
Mar 16, 2011: Los Angeles is known for many things – bright lights, beaches, and Hollywood glamour – but childhood hunger usually isn’t one of them. The reality is that of the 17 million children who face hunger every year in this country, L.A. is home to more than 1 million of them.

New USDA Data Give State-by-State SNAP/Food Stamp Participation Rates for 2008
Feb 11, 2011: According to a recently-released report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), only 66 percent of eligible Americans participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in 2008. This leaves 34 percent not participating in the program and many of them are families with children.

Tell the 111th Congress to go out with a bang! Let’s get this child nutrition bill passed!
Nov 15, 2010: Share Our Strength's Michael McKenna looks at the urgent need to pass the child nutrition bill.