My Mission to Stop Hunger in America

I am fortunate today. I have a home, some money in the bank and plenty of good food. Not all Americans are so blessed. I was not always so blessed. Most of you know that I am passionate about, and dedicated to, solving the hunger crisis in our country. I write often about helping your local food bank and how the need is rising all the time.

The Face of Hunger in America has Changed

We are in the midst of a crisis. 1 in 6 Americans is fighting hunger today! Children go to school hungry. Seniors go to sleep hungry. Hardworking Americans who have lost their jobs go without meals every day. People your know, perhaps neighbors and/or family members, could be suffering in silence at this moment. I urge all of my readers to educate themselves and become involved this holiday season in helping Cross off Hunger. You can be part of this initiative. You can make a difference. I will tell you how.

In the United States, more than one out of five children lives in a household with food insecurity, which means they do not always know where they will find their next meal. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 16.7 million children under 18 in the United States live in this condition – unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food necessary for a healthy life. In 2009, the top five states with the highest rate of food insecure children under 18 are the District of Columbia, Oregon, Arizona, Arkansas, & Texas. 20% or more of the child population in 40 states and D.C. lived in food insecure households in 2009. -Feeding America

The Cross Off Hunger Initiative from Unilever #BetterTogether

Let me introduce you to Unilever, their family of brands, and the Cross Off Hunger initiative to donate two million meals to families in need. Unilever is involved with Feeding America (as part of their sustainable living goal to help one billion people improve their health and well-being).

Unilever

You may not have heard of Unilever, but you probably have many of their products in your home today. On any given day, two billion people use Unilever products to look good, feel good and get more out of life. Unilever has more than 400 brands of food, health and wellbeing products that touch many people’s lives in many different ways.

Their portfolio ranges from nutritionally balanced foods to indulgent ice creams, affordable soaps, luxurious shampoos and everyday household care products. They produce brands you know and trust including Skippy, Knorr, Dove, Ben & Jerry’s, Axe, Hellmann’s, Q-Tips, Bryers, Country Crock, Degree, Popsicle, Ragu, Bertolli, St. Ives, Slim Fast, Lifebuoy, Sunlight, Pond’s, Lipton and Suave.

What I love most about Unilever is their social mission; they walk the talk with a responsible business plan.

Since Unilever was established in the 1890s, brands with a social mission have been at the core of our business, and now corporate responsibility underpins our strategy. In 2010 we launched the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan – a set of targets designed to help us deliver our objective of growing our business while minimizing our impact on the environment.

Cross Off Hunger

The Unilever Cross Off Hunger Campaign is in partnership with Feeding America to change hunger. The Unilever family of brands plan to donate two million meals to families in need. Their Sustainable Living Goal is dedicated to:

1. Improving Health and Well Being (Health, hygiene and improved nutrition)
2. Reducing Environmental Impact (Greenhouse gases, water and waste)
3. Enhancing Livelihoods  (sustainable sources and better livelihoods)

Feeding America(R), the nation’s largest organization dedicated to fighting domestic hunger through a network of food banks. Feeding America is the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Feeding America’s mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger. $1=8meals secured by Feeding America on behalf of local food banks. Unilever will donate $250,000. The monetary equivalent of a minimum of 2 million meals will be donated.

You can  be a part of the Cross Off Hunger Campaign simply by educating yourself and your family about hunger and the critical needs of food banks (it’s not just food!). Please visit MakingLifeBetter to learn about the hunger crisis and the role that Food Banks play in helping feed America’s hungry. You can take a Hunger I.Q. test, tour a food bank, find out what food banks really need and locate a food bank you can help in your area.

Buy and Give

Unilever is committed to donating more than two million meals to families in need with Feeding America and every item on your shopping list counts. Show your support by adding Unilever brands to your cart next time you shop. Together we can help to Cross Off Hunger.

You can help by using your favorite Unilever products in your own sustainable living routine. When I visit my grocery store this month, I am committed to buying Unilever products and donating them to my local food bank. Our local Publix makes this easy as you can create bags and leave them there. The store makes sure your donations get to the local food bank. I will be sharing one of my shopping trips next week. Tell me your plans for giving back this holiday season!

Visit Feeding America Campaign
Learn more by connecting with Unilever on Facebook and Twitter.

 

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Unilever #CBias #SocialFabric. All opinions and experiences are my own.