As someone who works for a breakfast company and starts the day with breakfast – every day – the realization that one in five children in the U.S. struggles with hunger is a tough one. As a parent, that realization is heartbreaking.
As a father, I’m passionate about making sure my kids have what they need to grow up strong, happy and healthy. My wife, Nancy, and I have three children, including an adopted daughter. When we first brought our daughter into our family, she was undernourished, but today she is well-fed, healthy and strong. I think all children should have that chance.
At Kellogg, we know that every hungry child deserves to start the day with the power of breakfast. Many families struggle to put enough food on the table. This Father’s Day, one way to ease the burden on hard-working dads is to make sure their kids are able to get a healthy school breakfast. That’s why we work with partners to find the very best ways to get this critical meal to hungry kids.
Think about what this meal means to a child in need. This meal allows kids to focus on school work, rather than growling stomachs. A good breakfast gives kids the best start to their day, providing vital nutrients for young minds and bodies.
Today, only about half of the kids who may need a healthy school breakfast are getting one. For example, something as simple as what time breakfast is served in high-need schools can mean the difference between nutrition and hunger for millions of kids. Making this meal a seamless part of the school day, serving it after the bell, would mean more kids could reliably get a healthy breakfast every morning and start the day ready to learn.
Our Kellogg Company Fund grants have helped provide 20 million new breakfasts since 2009; with No Kid Hungry, we have been able to increase participation in school breakfast programs, so kids get the fuel they need for their brains and bodies.
No one can do this work alone. Everyone can make a difference in the life of a hungry child. As you celebrate Father’s Day with your own families this year, here are some ways you can help others:
How can you help?
If there is no breakfast program at your child’s school, ask what they need to start one. Sometimes it’s as simple as needing coolers for milk or larger trash containers for clean-up.
When you can, provide food to your local food bank. Breakfast foods, in particular, are important to local families. Not sure what to give? Bring the foods that your kids enjoy.
Are you a community volunteer?
Consider lending your time and talents to your local food bank, or
Stop by your local school to see if they need volunteers to help distribute breakfast in the classrooms
The important thing is that we can all contribute in some way to making sure that no child starts the day hungry. Solving this problem is within our reach, if we all reach out.
