Kids Set out to ‘Make Their Mark’ on Child Hunger During National Service Month

OMAHA, Neb., April 2, 2015 /3BL Media/ — When faced with a challenging reality, like the staggering facts of child hunger in America, it’s inspiring to see how kids jump into action to help their friends, neighbors and peers. The pure simplicity of kids helping kids in need is what moved ConAgra Foods (NYSE: CAG) and the ConAgra Foods Foundation to enlist youth volunteers to fight child hunger in their own communities by funding 100 youth service grants through a partnership with generationOn, the youth service division of Points of Light. The company and foundation have also provided a series of tools and resources that encourage families to take action in April, National Service Month.

Empowering Kids to Fight Child Hunger

In partnership with Soul Pancake, a popular YouTube channel, ConAgra Foods interviewed kids to get their candid reactions to the issue of child hunger as well as their ideas on how they would end hunger in their own backyard. Some of the creative and heartfelt solutions include: making Thanksgiving every day, building a free grocery store for families and developing a machine that makes food for kids who are hungry. “The tiniest ripples make the biggest waves,” says Gabe Eggerling, 11-yr old video participant. The interviews were captured in this video, which kicks off National Service Month, as a way to inspire all ages to get involved in the fight against child hunger in their community.

“Adults could learn a thing or two from kids and their incredibly inspirational approach to solving the issue of child hunger. Their solutions are innocent and simple––do something; do anything,” says Kori Reed, vice president, ConAgra Foods Foundation and Cause. “This is why we’ve always believed in the power of kids to change the world.”

Throughout the month of April, 100 kids and teens from across the country will take action to fight child hunger in their community through a service project of their choice. Grant winners, who span all 50 states, each received a $500 grant from the ConAgra Foods Foundation as part of generationOn’s Make Your Mark on Hunger campaign.

“I want to help kids who are hungry because it makes me sad to know some of my classmates, who I’m with every day, might be suffering,” says third grader, Joyme Joia of Providence, RI. “My service project includes a cooking class for kids at my school, which will help us make a meal for the people in our community who really need it.”

Other service projects include: packing snack boxes for afterschool programs, canned food drives and creating a mobile farmer’s market. By the end of April, the 100 youth volunteers will have completed more than 230 service projects engaging more than 10,000 individuals across the nation.

How to Join the Fight against Child Hunger

Kids bring energetic and innovative ideas that can inspire change and action for people of all ages. Here are a few ways for families to learn more and support the cause:

• Share the Message: Share this video by Soul Pancake, highlighting kids’ ideas for making a difference, to raise awareness of child hunger. People can share their own ideas for fighting child hunger using the #FightHungerTogether hashtag.

• Get Involved: Families and youth across the country can make their mark in the fight against child hunger. Start by donating meals, volunteering, transporting food, helping an existing feeding site with food preparation and clean-up or participating in activities with children. Visit www.childhungerendshere.com/end-child-hunger-in-the-US/  for more tips on fighting child hunger.

• Enter A Code: One easy way to support the cause is to look for the red pushpin and code on specially marked ConAgra Foods products.  For each eight-digit code entered at www.ChildHungerEndsHere.com now until January 7, 2016, ConAgra Foods will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal to Feeding America, up to 3 million meals.[1] 

You can also follow the discussion at Facebook.com/ChildHungerEndsHere, or follow along on Twitter and Instagram at @ChildHungerEnds.

About ConAgra Foods

ConAgra Foods, Inc. is one of North America's largest packaged food companies with branded and private branded food found in 99 percent of America's households, as well as a strong commercial foods business serving restaurants and foodservice operations globally. Consumers can find recognized brands such as Banquet®, Chef Boyardee®, Egg Beaters®, Healthy Choice®, Hebrew National®, Hunt's®, Marie Callender's®, Orville Redenbacher's®, PAM®, Peter Pan®, Reddi-wip®, Slim Jim®, Snack Pack® and many other ConAgra Foods brands, along with food sold by ConAgra Foods under private brand labels, in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise, club and drug stores. Additionally, ConAgra Foods supplies frozen potato and sweet potato products as well as other vegetable, spice, bakery and grain products to commercial and foodservice customers. ConAgra Foods operates ReadySetEat.com, an interactive recipe website that provides consumers with easy dinner recipes and more. For more information, please visit us at www.conagrafoods.com.

1 For every 8-digit code from participating products entered by 1/7/16, ConAgra Foods will donate 10c, the cost for Feeding America to provide one meal through its network of local foodbanks. Maximum: 3 million meals. Guaranteed minimum of 1.5 million meals ($150,000). Limit 5 code entries per person/computer each day. Valid in the United States only.

About ConAgra Foods Foundation

The ConAgra Foods Foundation, through its Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow platform, is dedicated to raising awareness of the nearly 16 million children in America who are at risk of hunger and live in food insecure homes where they may not have enough food to live active, healthful lives. It aggressively pursues sustainable solutions in the fight against child hunger. And the Foundation is committed to building a community of people who are passionate about ensuring that all kids have access to the food and facts they need to eat nutritiously while living balanced lifestyles and succeeding in school and life. ConAgra Foods Foundation invests in national and local partnerships with high-impact, not-for-profit organizations, such as Feeding America and 4H that take an innovative approach to addressing needs in the core areas of hunger and nutrition education. For more information, please visit www.conagrafoods.com or www.facebook.com/conagrafoods. The ConAgra Foods Foundation is primarily funded by ConAgra Foods.

About generationOn
generationOn is the youth service division of Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, igniting the power of kids and teens to make their mark on the world. generationOn inspires, equips and mobilizes hundreds of thousands of kids and teens annually to take action through service, service learning and youth leadership initiatives. It also provides tools and resources to kids, teens, families, youth practitioners and educators to help kids change the world and themselves through service. For more information, visit www.generationon.org.