Help Mariam Get School Lunches Again

It’s National School Lunch Week in the United States. But school lunches are important to kids everywhere around the world. So let’s visit with one of these children in a land far away, the African nation of Mali.

Mariam is a 12-year old from Yelimane village in Mali. She’s had a tough life, losing her parents at a young age. She lives now with her grandparents and sister. They are poor in a country ravaged by conflict in recent years.

Read my full commentary at The Huffington Post.

How We Can Help Haiti’s Children During Drought Emergency

The news coming from Haiti is very alarming. The El Niño weather phenomenon has struck again, this time leading to a severe drought.

It’s been so bad for farmers that many have lost more than 82 percent of production. That is leaving Haitian families with low food supply. Any food that is available at markets is high priced.

See my full commentary at The Huffington Post.

A Holiday Gift for Hungry Children

It is the right of all children to grow up with food and education. Yet so many go without. But if we can give children worldwide a holiday gift, why not let it be school meals for the New Year.

See my  commentary at The Huffington Post.

Free breakfast, lunch plan a hit in Virginia

More schools in Virginia are taking part in a special plan to fight child hunger, it was announced Tuesday. In a public statement the First Lady of Virginia, Dorothy McAuliffe, said there was a 139% increase in schools that provide free breakfast and lunch to all their students.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Congress can unite over food

It seems like Democrats and Republicans never agree on anything. But think again. They are finding common ground over food. And it could make a huge difference for America.

When Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) recently signed on to the Hunger Free Summer for Kids Act of 2015, he found allies from across the aisle. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) joined him. So did Sens. John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.). From his party Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) were among the first to join Brown.

Read the full article at The Hill:

Senator Brown supports Hunger Free Summer for Kids Act

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) yesterday announced co-sponsorship of the Hunger Free Summer for Kids Act. This legislation would tackle the massive summer feeding crisis in America.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Helping Syrian refugee children with school meals

There is a silent crisis unfolding every day in Jordan and throughout the Middle East. It is another devastating effect of Syria’s civil war.

Syrian refugees are falling deeper into hunger. Children are suffering the most, being forced to work and beg to provide for their family.

Read the full article at The Jordan Times.

My New York Times Letter on Syria Hunger Crisis

Cuts in food aid are leading Syrian refugees to take desperate measures.

This is a terrible situation for Syrian children to be forced to beg and work just to get a meal. But we can do something about it.

Please see my letter in today’s New York Times.

Also for historical perspective on fighting child hunger please see the video Ending Child Hunger: School Lunches for Kids Around the World.

New food project keeps things local in Haiti

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) is starting a special two-year project aimed at helping Haiti build its agriculture. It was scheduled to start in May in the Nippes region.

Read the full article at Examiner.

International School Meals Day coming in March

International School Meals Day will be celebrated on Thursday, March 5th this year. The event seeks to “raise awareness of the hunger and poverty issues being addressed through school feeding programmes (programs)” worldwide.

Read the full article at Examiner.

A gift of school meals needed in DRC

This fall, the U.S. ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), James C. Swan, redeclared a disaster in the African nation. Fighting continues to displace civilians and hunger is an extreme emergency.

Read the full article at Examiner.

School meals give hope in South Sudan

The war and hunger that has devastated South Sudan takes its toll in so many ways. One of the forgotten consequences is the loss of education among children. According to UNICEF around 400,000 children in South Sudan have dropped out of school because of the conflict.

Read the full article at Examiner.

Rome's Hunger Run to feed children worldwide

Thousands of runners and walkers will be gathering next Sunday (October 19), in Rome, Italy for a great charity race. The 9th annual Hunger Run starts at 10 a.m. on Viale delle Terme di Caracalla.

Read the article at Examiner.

Healing Darfur, Sudan with school meals

How do you build peace in Darfur and throughout Sudan? This year alone has seen almost 400,000 people displaced by fighting between the government and rebel groups. Conflict between tribes has added to the chaos.

Read the article at Examiner.