Nearly 17 million children in America – almost one in four – struggle with hunger. The families of these children have a hard time putting food on the table. The Grain Foods Foundation is working with award-winning actress Teri Hatcher from ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” to help give hungry children in our country access to nutritious meals. Through the Bread Art Project, consumers can join the cause to benefit Share Our Strength®, a non-profit leading the charge to end childhood hunger in America by 2015,
The Bread Art Project was created in 2009 by the Grain Foods Foundation to help increase awareness of the growing hunger problem in our country. Last year, visitors to breadartproject.com created more than 50,000 pieces of Bread Art to raise more than $50,000 for Share Our Strength. The Foundation hopes to top that this year, thereby helping even more children at risk of hunger.
Now through June 30, 2010, consumers can create a personalized piece of bread art – at no cost – by uploading a favorite drawing or photo, or designing a new one using a digital slice of bread as the canvas. For each piece of bread art created, the Grain Foods Foundation will donate $1 to Share Our Strength.
“I really commend the Grain Foods Foundation’s efforts to provide children in need with proper nutrition and nourishment,” said Hatcher. “As a mother it’s heartbreaking to learn the impact of childhood hunger in this country. I’m proud to support the Bread Art Project and become part of the solution to this growing problem.”
To understand the impact of childhood hunger, consider this: children who struggle with hunger are sick more often, recover more slowly, and are more likely to be hospitalized. They are more likely to experience headaches, stomachaches, colds, ear infections and fatigue. Lastly, children who face hunger are more susceptible to obesity and its harmful health consequences as children and as adults.
“Staples like bread and grains provide many essential nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy,” said Judi Adams MS, RD and president of the Grain Foods Foundation. “Plus, they are affordable and versatile items families can use to stretch their grocery dollars at home.”
About the Campaign
To help put a face on the nation’s hunger issue, the Grain Foods Foundation created the Face Hunger application, which allows Facebook users to apply the one-in-four-child-hungry statistic to their friends.
“We are honored to be partnering with the Grain Foods Foundation on their Bread Art Project for the second year in a row in an effort to raise awareness about both childhood hunger and nutritious foods,” said Billy Shore, Share Our Strength Founder and Executive Director. “The creativity of the Project – including its website and Facebook application –allows consumers the chance to better understand the issue and be a part of the solution at the same time.”
The Bread Art Project campaign is supported through an integrated communications program – including digital, social and traditional media. Facebook and Twitter outreach encourages fans and followers to create and share their bread art via their social networks. Digital advertising and public service announcements will help expand the reach of the campaign more broadly.
Additionally, the Grain Foods Foundation will conduct a national publicity tour with Teri Hatcher to reinforce the need for children to receive proper nutrition and nourishment, especially from grain foods.
To find out what it would look like if one in four of your friends went hungry, visit facebook.com/gowiththegrain. To make a personalized piece of bread art in support of Share Our Strength, visit breadartproject.com.
About Share Our Strength
Share Our Strength®, a national nonprofit, is ending childhood hunger in America by connecting children with the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, active lives. Through its No Kid Hungry® campaign—a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015—Share Our Strength ensures children in need are enrolled in effective federal nutrition programs, invests in community organizations fighting hunger, teaches families how to cook healthy meals on a budget, and builds public-private partnerships to end hunger, both nationally and at the state level. Working closely with the culinary industry and relying on the strength of its volunteers, Share Our Strength hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support No Kid Hungry. Visit Strength.org to get involved.
About the Grain Foods Foundation
The Grain Foods Foundation, a joint venture of members of the milling, baking and allied industries formed in 2004, is dedicated to advancing the public’s understanding of the beneficial role grain-based foods play in the human diet. Directed by a board of trustees, funding for the Foundation is provided through voluntary donations from private grain-based food companies and is supplemented by industry associations. For more information about the Grain Foods Foundation, visit gowiththegrain.org, or find GoWithTheGrain Facebook, Twitter and Flickr.