Have questions about childhood hunger, or the Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow program? Check out our FAQ.
This is America. Are there really hungry children here?
Yes! According to the USDA, more than 12 million American children live in households where they don't have enough food to lead healthful, active lives, meaning they miss meals on a regular basis. Households with children experience food insecurity at almost double the rate of households without children.
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Hunger disproportionately affects children—nearly 40 percent of the people who turn to charities for hunger relief are children, although they represent only 25 percent of the U.S. population.
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1 in 6 children faces hunger in the United States and doesn't know where his or her next meal is coming from.
What are some of the causes of child hunger?
In the last decade, hunger relief agencies have found that the greatest increase in need has been among the working poor. Despite their hard work, they are often faced with tough decisions between paying the bills and putting food on the table.
What are the effects of child hunger?
Children who do not receive adequate nourishment may suffer abnormal brain, cognitive, and psychological development that, if not corrected, can be irreparable. Plus, hungry children have a more difficult time learning in school, have shorter attention spans, and suffer more absences due to illness.
Why focus on child hunger?
The ConAgra Foods Foundation finds it unacceptable that there are millions of children who miss meals on a regular basis.
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Children are the building blocks of the nation's future prosperity; if hungry, they will not grow or reach their full potential, and neither will we.
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The ConAgra Foods Foundation's Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow initiative is dedicated to ensuring that all the hungry children in America have access to the food and facts they need so they can succeed in school and life.
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What is Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow?
Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow is the platform of the ConAgra Foods Foundation's comprehensive, long-term commitment to fight child hunger. We are leading the charge to raise awareness of the issue of childhood hunger in America—fighting to nourish kids' bodies and minds today, so they will flourish tomorrow.
Many food manufacturers give product donations or funding to address hunger problems. How is the ConAgra Foods Foundation's Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow different?
The ConAgra Foods Foundation is the nation's largest corporate initiative dedicated to raising awareness of the more than 12 million children in America who are at risk of hunger and don't have enough food to live active, healthful lives, and to aggressively pursuing sustainable solutions in the fight against child hunger.
The Foundation is committed to building a community of people who are passionate about ensuring that America's children have access to the food and facts they need to eat nutritiously, live balanced lifestyles, and succeed in school and life. In order to achieve our goals, we support leading organizations in their efforts to provide direct services, build capacity, and pursue advocacy initiatives to advance the field. Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow seeks to meet immediate needs as well as find long-term solutions in the areas of child hunger and nutrition.
Who is involved with Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow?
The ConAgra Foods Foundation has established partnerships with key not-for-profit organizations that reach communities across the country, including:
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Feeding America® (formerly named America’s Second Harvest) is a long-time national not-for-profit partner for the ConAgra Foods Foundation, and the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. The Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks distributes food and grocery products to approximately 50,000 local charitable hunger-relief agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, women's shelters, Kids Cafes, Community Kitchens, and other organizations that provide emergency food assistance to more than 23 million hungry Americans, 12 million of whom are children.
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Share Our Strength's Operation Frontline® brings together leading chefs and nutrition educators to teach families how to prepare tasty, balanced meals on a budget. With the support of the ConAgra Foods Foundation, Share Our Strength® will more than double Operation Frontline's capacity over the next three years, enhancing the program infrastructure, serving families more effectively, and better supporting its partners.
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National Council of La Raza (NCLR) is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States focused on improving opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Through NCLR's Promotores de Salud program, a community-based health initiative focused on increasing Latinos' awareness of the risk factors for heart disease, the Foundation's support helps provide culturally sensitive nutrition education programs to help Hispanic families live healthier lifestyles.
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Who is ConAgra Foods?
ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE: CAG) is one of North America's leading packaged food companies, serving grocery retailers as well as restaurants and other foodservice establishments. Popular ConAgra Foods consumer brands include: Banquet®, Chef Boyardee®, Egg Beaters®, Healthy Choice®, Hebrew National®, Hunt's®, Marie Callender's®, Orville Redenbacher's®, PAM®, and many others. For more information, please visit us at www.conagrafoods.com.
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