Blog It Forward To Fight Hunger

ShopRite and General Mills will donate a box of cereal to a local food bank for each comment (up to 30 comments) left for this post. So, please do a good deed today and leave a comment - ANY comment and do a small part in alleviating hunger in our local community!

Hunger. 36 million Americans go to bed hungry each night. Don't gloss over that number. Ponder it a bit. 36 MILLION. About 12 million are children. Many are WORKING families, despite our preconceived notions. A large portion are the elderly on a tiny, fixed income. There is no reason in this great land of abundance that people should be starving. There is no reason a baby or young child should cry themselves to sleep from hunger. There is no reason that the cheapest foods to obtain are the most unhealthy, and therefore access to fruits, vegetables, milk and protein are severely limited with families struggling financially. Such poor nutrition has a lasting physiological and cognitive impact on young children.

Now you know. As Maya Angelou says, "Once you know better, you do better." To know means you now own the choice for action or inaction. When you choose inaction, it IS a choice. Because, once you know better... you can no longer claim ignorance.

It's so difficult to find the time, and there are so many wonderful causes to support. How do we find the time and energy? That's where organizations like ShopRite's Partners In Caring can help. They organize the community effort, and you participate simply as you shop for your family. You can make choices every time you are in the grocery store. Choices that can help another family. Every time you chose a product with a Partners In Caring shelf tag, you are supporting the manufacturers that are dedicated and committed to the fight against hunger in America. The dollars collected from ShopRite's Partners In Caring go to a variety of organizations with meal components such as soup kitchens, battered women's shelters, senior centers, child care and after school programs, and more.

For 20 years, ShopRite has been committed to helping the hungry in our communities through their ongoing support of the Feeding America Network and the Check Out Hunger Program. About a decade ago, ShopRite was inspired to create ShopRite Partners In Caring which has been a huge success! ShopRite, with the help of over 50 manufacturers including General Mills, has been committed to supporting over 20 qualified, regional food banks and 1,400 agencies with food/meal components.

How can you help reduce or eradicate hunger in your community?
1) Leave a comment here. For each comment left (up to 30 comments) a box of cereal will be donated to a local food bank curtosey of ShopRite and one of their wonderful partners, General Mills.
2) When shopping at your local ShopRite, choose products that are designated "Partners In Caring." You'll see them labeled on the shelf tags, or you can view a list of them HERE. Remember, food banks don't just need food at the holdiays, which is when giving tends to increase. Think about how to help families who are hungry all year long!
3) Have a food drive in your neighborhood, religious group, at a holiday party, birthday party, your child's school or team, or at work.
4) Volunteer at a local food bank. You can bring your older kids and instill in them the value to giving back and caring for others in need.
5) Look for the Check Out Hunger program in your ShopRite stores. When you're checking out, you can add $1.00, $3.00, or $5.00 to your total bill to support ShopRite's hunger initiatives. Did you know that $1.00 can purchase 10 POUNDS of food?!?!? You CAN make a big difference with a single dollar!!!