Childhood Hunger

Great American Bake Sale Funds At Work

Since 2003, more than 1.7 million people have participated in Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale, raising $6 million to make sure no child in America grows up hungry. The effort has rallied some of the culinary world’s most recognized celebrities like Food Network stars and national spokespeople Sandra Lee and Duff Goldman. Here’s an example of how funds work:

In rural Warren County, Tenn., where unemployment has doubled recently to nearly 16% and 55% of schoolchildren receive free or reduced-price school lunches, Warren County Child Nutrition Program (WCCNP) used a grant from Share Our Strength to expand its summer meals program in innovative ways.

In addition to serving three summer meal sites at elementary and middle schools, WCCNP delivers meals to satellite sites at apartment complexes and high school sports camps. With the help of Share Our Strength’s grant, WCCNP added a second summer lunch van this year to deliver nutritious lunches daily to 300 more children at five new satellite sites.

Renee Griffith, director of summer food at Warren County Schools, said, “These kids are practically taking care of themselves. They run up to the van every day and are ready and waiting when it arrives. Some ask if we’re coming on weekends.”

This summer, WCCNP expects to provide lunch to 2,250 children, five days a week at 15 sites across Warren County.

For more information on Share Our Strength’s work to end childhood hunger in America visit www.strength.org.