It's Showering Change! Global Child Nutrition Month Kicks Off Nationwide Fundraiser

Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 02 Apr 2008 - 4:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

It's showering quarters, nickels and dimes today as the first ever Global Child Nutrition Month kicks off. This April, the School Nutrition Association (SNA), in conjunction with the Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF), encourages school nutrition professionals to take a day, week, or even the whole month, to partner with students and teachers in raising funds to fight global hunger.

Nearly 300 million of the world's children are caught in the debilitating cycle of poverty and hunger. According to the World Food Programme, 170 million of these children attend school, but most do not receive meals there. Because a hungry child cannot learn, GCNF works to help nations build and sustain school feeding programs to nurture and educate children.

During Global Child Nutrition Month, SNA set a grassroots fundraising goal to collect coins from schools across the country. The funds raised will support GCNF and other local and international hunger organizations. More than 600 school districts nationwide are participating this month, while several got a head start on the action:

- Students at Pride Elementary School in Hillsborough County, Fla., collected more than $2,300 as they raised awareness about potential solutions to global hunger and poverty.

- Evergreen Elementary School students in Spanaway, Wash., built the largest pizza in their community. By tossing coins that represent favorite toppings into a circle they helped their school reach its goal of $1,100.

- In Ohio, students at the Beavercreek City Schools received a token with their school lunch. The token serves as a reminder to students to bring back a coin this month, helping the school district reach a goal of $2,500.

The U.S. Congress also recognized Global Child Nutrition Month. On Monday, March 31, 2008, Representative Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) offered remarks before the House of Representatives, recognizing the work of organizations like GCNF and SNA in ending the worldwide scourge of hunger and poverty.

SNA industry members are also taking action to be part of the solution to global hunger. Schwan's Food Service, Inc. has developed the "Change Our World" program to promote students' awareness of global hunger. During designated days and weeks, students will have numerous giving opportunities, including the invitation to bring 25 cents to school to give to GCNF. With the "Change Our World" website, http://www.changeourworldonline.org, students and staff will be able to track their success and compete with other schools in their area and around the U.S.

The Global Child Nutrition Foundation Global Child Nutrition Foundation is a nonprofit corporation whose mission and vision are to help the nations of the world nurture young bodies and advance young minds through the time-tested practice of school-based nutrition. The School Nutrition Association is a national, non-profit professional organization representing more than 55,000 members who provide high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the country.

School Nutrition Association