How Bake Sales Fight Childhood Hunger
Great American Bake Sale Funds At Work
Since 2003, more than 1.3 million people have participated in Great American Bake Sale, raising nearly $5 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:
Dutchess Outreach, a local organization in Dutchess County, N.Y., combats hunger daily. Brian Riddell, Executive Director, points to the organization’s 2007 summer lunch program in Poughkeepsie as an example of how it uses Share Our Strength funding to help underprivileged children. “We wanted to make sure kids in the neighborhood who were not enrolled in any summer programs were able to get a nutritious lunch. Share Our Strength’s funding makes it possible to feed anywhere from 12 to 40 kids five days a week from early July to late August.”
Riddell feels that his work is part of the solution to a devastating problem. “I think the research is clear that underprivileged kids are not receiving proper nutrition, which leads to a lack of development and adequate education,” Riddell continues. “The good news is that you can correct those ills by making sure kids are involved in programs that provide them with proper nutrition.”
