by Grace Pires, volunteer at Promise the Children & Girl’s Inc. In America, many schools strive to make sure each of their students is able to have a proper meal for lunch. Through the support of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, schools can provide their students with nutritious lunches. Unfortunately, not all schools and politicians have been supporting the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. Republican Senator Todd Rokita is attempting to pass a bill, “Improving Child Nutrition and Education Act read more…
Please contact your legislators locally before April 23rd. Congress is recessed from April 8th to April 23. Phone or email him/her, or send a post card locally. Attend a local meeting with your legislator, if possible. Half of our families earn the median income or less (about $50,000 annually). This is not enough to pay for basic needs. The President’s budget subsidizes childcare for those with high salaries, but leaves those struggling financially with no support. Also,the republicans talk of read more…
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) was initiated in 1968 by an amendment to the National School Lunch Act to address the problems created by the lack of free school meals in the summer. Millions of children who received meals during the school year were going hungry in summer vacation. SFSP provides free meals when school is out. SFSP requires a “site” to distribute meals. Meals are often connected to summer camps run by non-profit and governmental organizations. The locations of such programs include; read more…
Essential programs that help our Pre-K children may be cut by Federal Legislators in mid-December. Let’s help Pre-K children by raising our voices in unison to make a difference. Promise the Children supports funding for programs that help Pre-K children living in poverty. Families living on minimum wages cannot afford to pay for adequate health care, food, quality pre-K and, too often, even housing for their children. Both father and mother must work multiple jobs, and are not paid a living wage. Contact read more…
There is conflict between ‘pro-life’ people who emphasize right to life of the fetus, and ‘pro-choice’ folks who emphasize the life of the growing child and parent readiness. Sister Joan Chittister, O.S.B. points out this flaw in the ‘pro-life’ movement: No concern is shown for the healthy development of a child after birth. It costs money for the government to promote the healthy growth of infants and children – money that low and minimum waged parents lack. But many ‘pro-lifers’ do read more…
Many kids go hungry in summer vacation because they no longer have regular school meals. Call Congress on June 23 and tell them “End child hunger this summer. Please take action now”. Less than 18% of low-income children who receive lunch assistance during the school year receive food assistance at a summer feeding site. We have the power to feed our children this summer, but let’s tell Congress to step up on June 23. Sign up to be part of our Promise read more…
Summer is not always fun — many children in America are hungry. Summer meals programs exist, but they operate under outdated regulations that stop their effectiveness. As a result, we feed a fraction of the kids who are eligible, and in need. Less than 2 1/2 million children are fed in summer vacation, but 22 million children receive free or reduced priced meals during the school year. Raise your voice this minute! Sign this petition now, urging your federal Senator and Representative read more…
Severe hunger in children can cause a high death rate from infectious diseases. Our food stamp program, started in the late 1960s ended malnutrition that had brought about infectious diseases, and a high death rate. Prevention is the answer to ending hunger in the United States. We know how to win War on Poverty but we are in danger of ignoring the evidence. We are not an impoverished country like Haiti, Yemen, or South Sudan. We have no ongoing war as read more…
This is not the time to cut SNAP, the food stamp program. 46 million people live in poverty as defined by the Federal government, and 21% of our children live in poverty.
There’s no basic living wage in the United States for unskilled workers who mow our lawns, fix our roads, provide care for elders and children, clean our buildings and hotel rooms and provide fast food and wash the dishes, and take care of many everyday tasks. Instead individuals, businesses and corporations rely on paying low wages and using the income from tax payments to provide subsidies with food stamps, rental vouchers, heath care, childcare and the earned income tax credit etc., etc.
Promise the Children advocates should press their federal legislators to fund WIC adequately so as to support all eligible mothers and children. We urge volunteer advocates to call or write their legislators and thank them for their support in the past and continue in the future. Promise the Children sponsored a forum north of Boston about ending homelessness and invited a young pregnant mother with a four-year old child to speak about her experience. A single mom, Jane (a pen name) read more…
