There’s still time …

The month may be coming to a close, but there is still time to learn more about one of the most pressing issues of our time. September is Hunger Action Month and you can join the fight against domestic hunger by visiting, http://hungeractionmonth.org.
Just last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released a set of statistics that represent an astonishingly dismal picture of poverty in America in 2009. Nearly 44 million people Americans lived below the poverty line. The numbers get even more disturbing when you think about how the most vulnerable Americans, our nation’s children, are impacted by poverty. About 36 percent of black children and 33 percent of Latino children were poor in 2009. Nearly 38.5 percent of all families headed by single mothers were also poor. If we honestly believe that children are the future, then these record-breaking numbers should serve as call to action to learn more about the ways we can fight both domestic hunger and poverty.
If children don’t eat, children can’t learn. The Cincinnati Public School system has recognized the link between healthy eating and effective learning and is offering a free nutritious breakfast to all students who want one. The universal breakfast campaign is one important step toward feeding our children and feeding our future.
To learn more about hunger and poverty in Ohio, visit the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks (oashf.org) and the Children’s Hunger Alliance (childrenshungeralliance.org).