Emmy Award ®-winning actress Viola Davis, the Albertsons Companies Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) have come together to produce the new Hunger Is “Hungry for More” campaign which focuses on the importance of daily breakfast for children, seeking to provide five million more breakfasts this year to children in need. Hunger Is, a joint charitable program of the Albertsons Companies Foundation and EIF, designed to raise awareness and funds to fight childhood hunger in America, will feature this PSA campaign in select Albertsons family of stores during the month of September. The print, broadcast, digital and out-of-home PSA campaign will begin running in August.
Shoppers at the Albertsons family of stores – which include Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Shaw’s, Star Market, Tom Thumb, Randalls, ACME Markets and others – will have the opportunity to fight childhood hunger in their communities by giving to Hunger Is during an in-store fundraising campaign the month of September at more than 2,300 Albertsons family of stores across the U.S. Funds raised through the in-store campaign will contribute toward reaching the five million breakfasts goal.
The program has seen continued success over the last three years, raising $12.5 million to date, to support local hunger programs. The year-round campaign, which kicks off with the September in-store effort, will encourage individuals and communities to unite with the goal of providing healthy breakfast to kids in their neighborhoods and developing a lasting solution to childhood hunger in America.
“I am so thrilled to see our communities coming together to support eradicating childhood hunger in America,” said Hunger Is Ambassador Viola Davis. “The ‘Hungry for More’ public awareness campaign is integral in educating the public on how severe childhood hunger is – in every community – in America. It also demonstrates the importance of children starting off their day with breakfast. They’re able to learn more, achieve greater success and live healthier. I am honored to continue to stand with my friends at the Albertsons Companies Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation while working to put an end to this significant problem in our country.”
Funds raised will go towards programs focused on eradicating childhood hunger and improving health-related outcomes for hungry children and their families. In the last two years, Hunger Is has awarded 230 grants that have helped local and regional programs provide breakfast and lunch when school is closed and teach families how to most cost–effectively shop and cook healthy food on their limited food budgets.
In the future, the program may even reach out into other aspects of helping families make a better life for themselves. A large part of staying healthy is definitely having access to nutritious food. Be it the fruits and vegetables that are rich in nutrients or different supplements that can boost immunity and help maintain a balanced diet (check out this Bio X4 review as an example), it is important that everyone has access to healthy diet. However, being able to afford healthcare also comes into the picture. Not everyone can afford good food and they may have to adjust with whatever resources they have within their reach and funds. In fact, there are many NGO’s and organizations working ardently to help those in need. With that thought, campaigns that focus on providing families with urgent care in los angeles and other cities could also play a prominent role in the coming days. For now, the program’s main aim is to provide wholesome, healthy meals so children can grow up hale and hearty.
“When children struggle with food insecurity, they struggle to just enjoy life,” said Christy Duncan Anderson, Executive Director of the Albertsons Companies Foundation. “We are committed to ensuring that children throughout the country can start their day with a good meal and are ready to learn, play and grow.” These days, when it comes to healthy eating, most of us are conscious about what we eat. However, this does not apply to children. They might love junk foods and other unhealthy ones. But, if you take the example of teens and youth, they are more concerned about their body figure and how much they eat. They might choose to fast and sometimes even Google random facts like “Does cinnamon break your intermittent fasting“. What they don’t understand is choosing to do things like this occasionally when their mood demands it can in fact cause more harm to their body rather than making them healthier. Instead, if they had chosen to stick to healthy foods and exercise regularly, they may not have to fret about eating what, when and where.
Hunger Is grant recipients were selected with the help of the Hunger Is Advisory Committee (HIAC), comprised of leaders from the most respected hunger advocacy organizations in the U.S. including Center for Hunger-Free Communities, Drexel University, Feeding America, Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), New York City Coalition Against Hunger, Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, and WhyHunger. The HIAC provides guidance in defining and addressing needs and makes funding recommendations for approval by The Safeway Foundation and EIF Boards of Directors.
“We are thrilled to have Viola share her personal story and lend her voice again to this cause that continues to be prevalent in our communities. Her story and passion continues to inspire so many to help put an end to childhood hunger,” said Lisa Paulsen, President & CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. “1 in 5 children in America struggle with hunger every day, and with this new campaign, we’re hoping to change that by providing kids with the breakfast they need in order to grow and succeed all year-long.”
More information about the issue is available at HungerIs.org, along with simple ways for individuals to get involved and donate.