Emergency school feeding in Mali through the World Food Programme. Cuts by Congress to food aid could harm this program. (WFP/Daouda Guirou)

We know that globally there is a huge need for school lunch programs to fight child hunger. Yet, it’s the middle of June and there’s still no word on which countries will receive grants from the U.S. McGovern-Dole school lunch program. Last year the announcement took place in April and the previous year in May.

The McGovern-Dole program is run by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA). However, the program is constantly under stress from potential funding cuts by Congress.

Bread for the World reported earlier this year that “234,000 children will have reduced or denied access to school feeding programs under the McGovern-Dole program” as a result of the sequestration cuts. It is believed that the sequestration is causing the delay in the announcement of the school feeding grants. The longer the delay, the longer hungry and malnourished children have to wait for the meals.

Aid groups, including Catholic Relief Services and the World Food Program USA, want funding for McGovern-Dole increased. They see the positive effects this program has in countries that are suffering from disasters, war, or long-standing poverty. This year’s Farm Bill legislation is the perfect opportunity to increase the level of funding and allow for more school meals in Afghanistan, Mali, Haiti and other countries where needs are massive.

WFP USA says it “has included an ask for McGovern-Dole of $300 million for FY14 in our overall global hunger and nutrition recommendations. Providing $300 million a year for McGovern-Dole would allow this program to reach 10% of the hungry school-aged children in need, increasing their nutritional status and increasing school attendance, especially for girls.” Recent funding levels for McGovern-Dole are around the $200 million mark.

Here in the United States the National School Lunch program is meant to fight off child hunger.

But what happens when summer arrives and schools close? The lunches are disappearing for many children. The Food and Research Action Center (FRAC) just released a report showing a huge gap in feeding coverage during the summer months.

The report says, “for every seven low-income students who depended on the National School Lunch Program during the regular 2011-2012 school year, only one child received summer meals in July 2012.”

Tom Vilsack, head of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), emphasizes, “We must do all we can to ensure that children get nutritious food year-round, so that they are ready to learn during the school year and have a greater chance to succeed.” Efforts by USDA and the public have slightly improved summer feeding participation but the gap in coverage is still huge.

Jim Weill, the president of FRAC, says, “USDA is providing strong leadership with its emphasis on improving summer meals, but Congress will need to fix some of the underlying problems in the programs in the 2015 Child Nutrition Reauthorization to truly repair the Summer Nutrition Programs. Congress must take a fresh look at the Summer Nutrition Programs and consider ways to improve this faltering program so it more effectively addresses hunger and obesity.”

The struggle to defeat hunger at home and abroad depends on school meals. Leaders, both from the government and the public, need to ensure these vital food programs are strengthened.

Charity Miles, the free smartphone app that lets you raise money to support causes while exercising, is taking the world by storm. Colleges is one of the places where this technological breakthrough in charity is happening.

At the College of Mount St. Joseph in Ohio students are using the app. Tristan Chaput, the president of the Campus Activities Board there, talks about Charity Miles on her campus. She hopes that the school will be “national champs” in this charity sport.

How did you decide to get MSJ involved in Charity Miles?

It was really a spur of the moment thing! I was first introduced to Charity Miles through author William Lambers after winning a contest that he put together. I downloaded the app and used it when I was walking around campus from class to class and then I realized that the miles were really adding up. Bill mentioned making it a school-wide event. I am on the Campus Activities Board (CAB) at the Mount, so I brought it to the executive board. Everybody seemed excited about the idea of it, so it really took off. Some of our executive members are the ones who have collected the most miles so far. To get the campus involved, we decided to have a summer contest and see who can collect the most miles (the winner gets a prize). So far Mount students have collected 64.805 miles.

What kinds of charities are benefiting from your workouts?

Lately I have been working out for She’s the First, an organization that seeks to give girls in developing countries an education, since they are new to Charity Miles. I also do workouts for Wounded Warrior Project, Feeding America, and World Food Programme.

How many Charity Miles have you collected so far this summer?

19.602 miles

Do you think MSJ could be the leading college in terms of Charity Miles, even national champs?

I really think we could! Unlike larger campuses where you have to take shuttle buses from one side of campus to the other, MSJ is so small we walk everywhere! I know from experience that this is a great way to earn some Charity Miles! We also have a campus that is full of people who are always doing service, whether it’s service hours for a class or simply volunteering during his/her free time.

How does someone get involved with Charity Miles at your school and in the community?

For the community, it’s easy. All you have to do is download the free app Charity Miles on your iPhone or Android. Before your workout begins decide whether you want to walk, run, or bike. Then simply select the charity you want to help and press start. Students have one extra step they need to complete. At the end of the workout they need to either “share” their workout on CAB’s Facebook page (Campus Activities Board – MSJ) or on CAB’s Twitter page (@CAB_MSJ). When they do this they are automatically entered to win prizes.

article originally published at Cincinnati.com

A series of disasters, coupled with low funding for aid agencies, places millions of Haitians at risk of severe hunger.
(WFP/Stephanie Tremblay)

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed today it will not be able to provide summer school feeding for children in Haiti.

The UN food agency, which depends on voluntary donations, is already short on resources for many of its programs to help Haiti recover from a series of disasters.

In addition, a WFP take-home ration plan for 200,000 school children lacks funding to get started. This food aid is essential for families suffering from severe hunger and it allows their children to stay in school.

There are 6.7 million people, over half the population, that suffer from hunger in Haiti. Alejandro Chicheri of WFP says that of this number, around 1.5 million Haitians face severe hunger. Drought and a series of storms severely damaged agriculture, placing already impoverished families under additional stress.

A report from the Famine Early Warning System stated, “despite the evident readiness of local farmers, poor seed availability is threatening the success of this year’s crops…. Poor households in many rural areas could still be facing a food shortage directly after the July harvest.”

The charity Live Beyond provides food, water and medicine in Haiti and says it is “providing bags of rice and beans” at its medical clinics, “to ensure that the sickest of the sick are able to continue living through this period of starvation.”

At a fundraising event, actress and activist Kimberly Williams-Paisley recently said, “The phrase you hear most often in the LiveBeyond Mobile clinics is ‘Mwen grangou’ or I am hungry.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress is threatening to reduce funding for the Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole programs, both which help Haiti. President Obama is urging Congress not to cut these aid programs, which already are a relatively tiny part of the federal budget.

The World Food Programme continues to work with the Haitian government to build a national school lunch program. WFP provides meals during the school year to hundreds of thousands of children. The goal is for Haiti to run this program entirely using locally produced food.

These goals though cannot be obtained unless Haiti has the food supply to endure the reconstruction.

This Memorial Day we can remember the World War One Legacy of Humanitarianism (National World War I Memorial)

Memorial Day is here. It is a chance to remember lost loved ones. There are also the stories of others that may be lost in time, but not in value and spirit. Let’s remember them too.

A dedicated soldier, a member of the American Relief Administration after World War I, who lost his life to smallpox while trying to feed the hungry and sick.

Or a young lieutenant who was given the task of feeding the starving in Montenegro, a region in Europe that had been devastated during that war.

This part of Montenegro was a mountainous area, and with the onset of winter in 1918-19, it was a major challenge to bring relief supplies. Heavy snow had arrived and with damaged bridges and roads, people had given up hope they could be saved.

The New York Times reported on the grave circumstances and the rush of American officers to save lives.  People were already living off grass and the death rate soared as winter set in. It would be hard for large supplies of food to reach the suffering.

The starving people told the young American lieutenant,“you can’t save us.”

The lieutenant replied, “Yes, we can.” He planted an American flag on one of their churches and went to work. The American Relief Administration used cables to swing food over broken bridges. They used burros and horses to move food over miles of snowy mountain trails.

The lieutenant’s report on the heroic mission exclaimed “we did it. The people in this district are now happily eating American flour and pork. They have stopped digging graves and are, instead, planting their crops for this year’s harvest.”

That is what American humanitarianism is all about. Helping others, giving them a chance to survive and restore themselves. The American Relief Administration also provided free school meals in war-devastated countries, which brought millions of children back to health.

The same thing is being done today in conflict-torn Mali by Catholic Relief Services, through a grant by the U.S. McGovern-Dole program. That program was named after two veterans of the Second World War, George McGovern and Bob Dole.

It was Herbert Hoover who said famine is the inevitable aftermath of war. We saw that after  both world wars. Only humanitarian aid prevented mass starvation. We are seeing the effect today of war in Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan and other countries where hunger escalates as a result of conflict. The World Food Programme, the largest hunger fighting organization today,  is rushing aid to Syrian war victims as we speak.

On this Memorial Day remember too the humanitarian heroes, such as the amazing officers of the American Relief Administration. They were part of the American Army which won a war that many hoped would be followed by lasting peace, freedom for all, and freedom from famine.

While those goals have not been achieved, we need keep up the fight for those ideals which they so bravely pursued. This is the best gratitude we can give them.

FreeRice has two goals: Provide education to everyone for free. Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

When you go online to play the award-winning game FreeRice you are currently helping feed school children in Niger. This is a country in the Sahel region of Africa where the UN  World Food Programme says, “2.5 million people are in a permanent state of food insecurity, unable to meet basic food requirements even under normal conditions.”

Millions of others also suffer from hunger during different periods of the year, between harvests for example. With such extreme hunger and poverty parents may withdraw their  children from school, unless there is the incentive of food.

Here is an excerpt of a report from the World Food Programme:

The school feeding programme successfully encourages enrollment and attendance of children,  and reduces drop-out rates, in primary schools in structurally  vulnerable areas of Niger through the provision of cooked meals. In  order to address the gender gap in enrollment and reduce drop-out rates,  WFP provides a dry, take-home family ration to girls enrolled and attending the final  years of primary school. At the request of the Government, WFP and UNICEF are working to expand in nomadic areas.”

By playing FreeRice you are helping children get food and education. With the SAT tests coming up in June, millions of high school students in the U.S. could actually prepare for this test and help Niger by using the FreeRice SAT prep section.

Start playing at FreeRice.com.

A mother attends to her severely malnourished child at an inpatient feeding centre in Mao, Chad. Plumpy’Nut is used to treat this potentially deadly condition (UNICEF Chad/2011/ Esteve)

For Mother’s Day we can make a difference for the millions of hungry children around the world who struggle to survive the first 1000 days of life. As Herbert Hoover once said about the tragedy of hunger, it “sits beside every anxious mother three times each day.”

Infants caught in war, disaster and poverty zones in Afghanistan, Haiti, Yemen, Syria, Mali, South Sudan, Pakistan and other nations often do not get access to the nutrition that they need.

When this happens, they suffer lasting physical or mental damage, or even death.

UNICEF said in a recent report, “Globally, about one in four children under five years old are stunted.” Generation after generation in these countries are stunted in growth and mind.

If the hunger-afflicted nations had enough supply of the miracle food Plumpy’Nut we could stabilize the malnutrition emergency, and save a generation. Only then, with healthy children, can a nation develop the longer-term solutions to hunger and poverty.

On this Mother’s Day remember the millions of infants around the world who just need these 33- cent packets of food to avoid the potential catastrophe in those early years.

Providence-based Edesia, UNICEF and Save the Children are some of the charities that need donations to buy Plumpy’Nut. Millions of children and their mothers can be spared the tragedy of hunger and malnutrition.

That is the gift they need most of all.

Originally published at Cincinnati.com
]]> http://williamlambers.com/2013/05/12/this-mothers-day-help-save-a-childs-life/feed/ 0 makehungerhistory A mother attends to her severely malnourished child at an inpatient feeding centre in Mao, Chad. Plumpy'Nut is used to treat this potentially deadly condition (UNICEF Chad/2011/ Esteve) http://williamlambers.com/2013/05/06/send-congress-a-message-with-national-food-drive/ http://williamlambers.com/2013/05/06/send-congress-a-message-with-national-food-drive/#comments Mon, 06 May 2013 21:21:00 +0000 William Lambers http://williamlambers.com/?p=2591 Continue reading →]]>

The Stamp Out Hunger Drive takes place Saturday, May 11th. You can leave canned goods out for your letter carrier to be picked up and delivered to local food banks. Credit: Stamp Out Hunger

On Saturday, May 11, Americans can send a powerful message about ending hunger by taking part in the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Leave non-perishable canned goods by your mailbox that morning, and they will be picked up by your letter carrier and distributed to local food banks.

Hunger is a silent but massive crisis facing over 50 million Americans. Lines of people are gathering at food pantries, which they depend on to get through difficult times. We have to make sure that food banks have enough supplies to meet the increasing demand.

The Stamp Out Hunger Drive offers a quick and easy way to support the food banks.

But more is needed. Congress must also be sent a message. Over the course of a year food banks cannot get by solely on the generous donations they receive from the community. They also need the help of the Federal Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).

Over 1,300 hunger relief agencies recently sent a letter to Congress urging support for TEFAP in the upcoming Farm Bill legislation. The letter stated that TEFAP “has not kept pace with growing demand and “has actually declined recently, making it difficult for the program and food banks to keep up with demand…In 2012, more than half of Feeding America food banks experienced declines in TEFAP [of] more than 40 percent.”

Congress has to get its priorities in order when making budget decisions. The American people can let them know that funding TEFAP is essential to holding the fort until we can get some significant economic recovery.

On May 11, the National Food Drive offers you a chance to feed the hungry in your community and send a powerful message to Congress that eradicating hunger needs to be a priority.

Article first published as Send Congress a Message with National Food Drive on Blogcritics.

McGovern-Dole funding is allowing CRS to provide school meals in war-devastated Mali, where poverty rates are high. (Kristina Brayman/CRS)

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has a long history of supporting school meals around the world, dating back to the World War II era. Now CRS is calling on Congress to fund the McGovern-Dole global school meals program at $250 million this year. Previous funding levels are around $205 million.

School meals make foreign policy sense. Sean Callahan of CRS recently stated before Congress, “Education and nutrition are inextricably linked to future economic growth.”

That is why CRS wants to see the McGovern-Dole initiative expanded. Haiti, Afghanistan and many other countries need support for school feeding. In Mali, where conflict and drought have devastated the lives of millions, school meals are a big part of aiding children.

CRS received a McGovern-Dole grant for Mali and it’s making a difference. At last report, CRS is “currently serving 310 schools in two regions and approximately 58,000 beneficiaries.” CRS provides meals as well as vitamins and medications to the school children.

Callahan adds, “The program has helped to increase school enrollment for girls by 41% and for boys by 22%. On average, students attended school 95% of the days classes were held.”

The CRS Mali program also has elements of local food production for providing the meals. This is key. Where possible, the food for school meals needs to come from local sources. This helps communities and furthers the stability of the program so that continued aid is not needed.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) also is providing school meals in Mali. The UN food agency relies on voluntary funding but often struggles to receive it. Expanding McGovern-Dole, for instance, could allow an opportunity to support WFP and its school feeding in Mali.

The Congress will have an opportunity to increase the McGovern-Dole funding in the upcoming Farm Bill legislation.

Article first published as Catholic Relief Services Wants McGovern-Dole Expanded to Fight World Hunger on Blogcritics.

Henry and the Hidden Veggie Garden published by Silverback Books

With spring and summer comes “yummy” vegetables at stores and many roadside stands. As the book Henry and the Hidden Veggie Garden reminds us, it might take something special to get children to welcome this nutritious food into their diet.

The story, written by actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley and her father Gurney Williams III, features a child named Henry who lives in the city.

Henry enjoys video games, playing, riding his bike and pizza. Vegetables not so much. Even if they come with his pizza, Henry gets rid of them. His parents want him to eat these veggies. They keep encouraging him to try them, but realize it might take something more to make this happen.

Henry’s mother comes up with the idea of sending him to his Aunt Sally’s home for the weekend. Aunt Sally lives far away from the city on a farm. Henry is not thrilled with the idea. Soon he is on his way to Aunt Sally’s to spend time with the family, including cousin Huck who is close to his age.

From the world of the inner city to the farm is a huge adjustment for Henry. It’s an eye opener and the discovery of a secret veggie garden is a life-changer for him.

The book is wonderfully illustrated with farm scenes and animals by Henri Goldsmann. This book is also part of a nationwide campaign started by Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing called “Love your Veggies.”

Grants have been issued to over 80 schools via the program so they can start veggie bars and educational programs about nutrition. These healthy foods become an integral part of fighting child hunger.

According to Feeding America nearly 17 million children suffer from hunger nationwide. They need school lunch and breakfast programs. With summer coming they need feeding programs to fill the gap with schools closed. When veggies are a part of this it makes children healthier and better able to learn and grow.

Henry and the Hidden Veggie Garden is a great children’s story, but one also touching upon a very critical issue in America; ending child hunger through healthy eating.

Article first published as Book Review: Henry and the Hidden Veggie Garden by Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Gurney Williams III on Blogcritics.

Schoolchildren from Asprangeli, Greece, enjoy a mid-day meal, with food provided by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration after World War II. (Harry S. Truman Library)

The suspense is building for the Boston Marathon, which comes next Monday. Who will take the prize this year? While we wait for the big race it’s worth remembering the 1946 winner, Stylianos Kyriakides of Greece, where the idea of the marathon originated.

For his run was more than about making it over Heartbreak Hill and onto victory. His mission was to bring attention to famine and suffering in his homeland.

During World War II the German Army practically left Greece in ruins and short on food. Aid was desperately needed.

April 1946 was a pivotal time in world history; hunger then was the World War II enemy that had yet to be defeated. President Harry Truman sent Herbert Hoover on a worldwide mission to fight famine, including a visit to Greece.

Truman even delivered a national address on food conservation the night before the race, stating, “we cannot ignore the cry of hungry children. Surely we will not turn our backs on the millions of human beings begging for just a crust of bread. The warm heart of America will respond to the greatest threat of mass starvation in the history of mankind.”

For Kyriakides, the Boston Marathon offered an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the hunger in his homeland. He faced a tough challenge.

There was the defending champion Johnny Kelley and other great runners to contend with. Kyriakides also had to overcome years of living in the harsh occupation conditions with below-average nutrition. His life had been spared by German troops because he was a marathoner and had competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Kyriakides overcame the odds, overcame the great Johnny Kelley, and sprinted to victory in the marathon. When he crossed the finish line he shouted “For Greece!” for he knew what this victory would mean in telling the world of his country’s plight. His mission though was not over even after he crossed the finish line. Next was touring the country to raise donations for Greek relief.

As this Boston Marathon fast approaches we must remember that famine conditions have not left the world, even long after World War II. There are 870 million people worldwide who suffer from hunger. There are wars in Syria, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Mali and other areas where severe hunger has taken hold. Children die each day from malnutrition and others are stunted in growth forever. Many infants can be saved by a 33 cent package of Plumpy’Nut, a nutrient-rich peanut paste produced by Providence- based Edesia.

Millions of school-age children in these countries struggle to get one meal a day. If they could receive food at school they might have a chance at a future. It costs about 25 cents for the World Food Program to provide them a school meal each day. Yet, it is difficult to get funding for hunger relief. There are so many instances of food aid programs being reduced or even being cut because not enough donations come in from around the world. In Haiti, for instance, school meals are considered the cornerstone of the country’s reconstruction, a helping hand to unlock the potential in the country.

Many years have passed since Kyriakides accomplished what might be called one of the first Charity Mile runs. His legacy can continue. There is a way runners, as well as walkers and bikers, can make an impact on this struggle against hunger.

There is a free app you can download onto your smartphone at CharityMiles.org. The app tracks your distances and for every mile you cover donations are made to a charity of your choice. The U.N. World Food Program as well as Feeding America, are two of the charities that you can raise donations for.

So when this Boston Marathon arrives the competitors can also make a statement as Kyriakides did, by running the historic race and and making hunger history at the same time.

Article first published as The Boston Marathon Winner Who Fed the Hungry on Blogcritics and the Providence Journal.