The holiday season can be a magical time that brings people together. Often, celebrations and get-togethers are accompanied by a much-anticipated shared meal. However, for some, the holidays can be difficult, and those holiday meals (as well as others) may be hard to provide for their children.

Children are what make the holidays fun and filled with laughter! But child hunger is a serious year-round issue. Sadly, during the holiday season, there are some unique struggles–the first of which is the focus on collecting and distributing toys. Every adult wants a child to be a child, enjoying games and toys until adulthood takes over. But with inflation on the rise and food insecurity increasing, we propose that in addition to donating toys this year, you also share a part of your holiday table!

Holiday Break

While children are in school, they have access to the USDA National School Lunch Program. This program provides food to over 30 million kids per day that otherwise might go without. During the school year, Food Finders helps families over the weekend with a program called Food 4 Kids, but Holiday breaks mean that those children do not have access to either program. This may mean a decreased food availability or a financial strain on their parents as more food than usual is needed to feed their families.

With holiday movies playing everywhere, families are pressured to provide more food for their children during the holidays. These big Holiday Spreads include classic foods like turkey and ham, both of which have increased in cost since the Pandemic. The emotional impact on children and their parents makes the celebrations experienced by neighbors and friends more disheartening when you cannot afford the traditional meal.

Although the quantity of food is a concern, quality is also important to ensure children get the nutrients they need to be healthy. Low-quality food can greatly impact tiny stomachs. This can affect energy, focus, and even long-term health. Eating regular, nutritious meals over the holiday break means that kids can return to school in the new year ready to learn.

What Helps During the Holiday Season?

Did you know that most annual giving takes place in December? That means that donations, including food donations, increase around the holiday season. That can help to offset the increase in needs for food insecure families, especially for organizations like Food Finders. We have hundreds of volunteers who come to our warehouse to help us fill bags and boxes with holiday foods and distribute them to our local nonprofit agencies that share these meals with people who need them.

Our #OneMillionMeals campaign makes donating meals easy–during the Holiday Season and throughout the year. Our Food Rescue Operations collect good food and repurpose it with the help of over 400 nonprofit agencies. Donating to this program helps us to meet our one million meal goal each month, especially during December. Every donation can be made directly to the #OneMillionMeals campaign. It will go straight to our local nonprofit partners, who will help seniors, families, kids, the homeless, and veterans all struggling with food insecurity.

Make An Impact: Share Your Holiday Table

Your donations this Holiday Season help to combat hunger, especially during times of the year when children and their families need it the most.

GIVE A MEAL

#holidaygiving #fighthunger #shareyourtable