The Local Level: Feeding America

Maine author, Cynthia Lord, wrote a blog post today about the problem of childhood hunger in America. She quotes this statistic: There are 35 million Americans who don't know where their next meal is coming from.

Many of those people are children. Think about trying to go to school (or even *care* about school) on an empty stomach, knowing that the fish sticks and lima beans at your cafeteria lunch may be your only meal of the day. And that's if you're lucky enough to *have* school lunch in your school!

So is there anything we can do to help? Yes! While we're holiday shopping and baking and spreading the love among our families and friends, we can take just a moment to spread the love a little farther.

Cynthia gave a link to Feeding America, and on their website you can find all kinds of ways to help alleviate hunger on the local and the national level. On their Take Action page, you can:

• Look up your local food bank by zip code so you can donate food or supplies
• Donate cash (right now, every dollar you donate will be matched by Kraft Foods)
• Host a food drive
• Search for volunteer opportunities in your community (this search will work great if you live in or near a city...you might have to do a little more local research if you're in a rural area)
• Spread the word! Send a letter, tell a friend, tell 10 friends! The more awareness we raise, the more action people will take.

Please take some time to check out other ways you can help out on The Local Level during the holidays. Then, think about taking some time to volunteer, donate, and spread the word throughout the year!