On Saturday, May 12th, we all have a very easy way to take part in building a Hunger Free Community through the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Collect and bag non-perishable food items (please don’t include items that have expired or are in glass containers)
2. Place the bag by your mailbox and it will be delivered to a local food bank.
This is the 20th year that the Letter Carriers…
As we approach the end of Hunger Action Week I’m filled with mixed emotions. On one hand I’m thrilled with the number of community members, local leaders, agencies and businesses taking a stand against hunger. On the other – I worry that next week our community will move on. On to our own dinner tables, on to the next cause and on to our busy lives.
Yesterday the New York Times reported a surge in the number of kids receiving free or low cost meals. Nationally an astonishing 52% of 4th graders are receiving subsidized meals. In some King County school districts, more than 70% of kids are eligible for these programs.
Did you know that thousands of people visit food banks in King County every single day just to get by? By the end of 2010 they were
visited over 200,000 times each month. We can all do our part to make sure our food banks are fully stocked to meet this increased demand. The
more who get involved, the better, which is why we have added a Food Drive to the Day of Caring on September 16th which has signed up 11,000 volunteers to participate! We ask, in addition to graciously volunteering time and resources, that people also spare a bit of non-perishable food for those in need.
United Way of King County is launching a new effort to increase the economic stability of 1,600 members of the immigrant and refugee community. Six local service providers were selected though a highly competitive process to provide employment and job training services to immigrants and refugees living in King County. United Way is investing $454,000 in this effort in each of the two next years.
United Way of King County is working with partners to create a Hunger Free King County. One of the key strategies is increasing participation in child nutrition programs – including Summer Meals. United Way is lucky to have a high school senior Nick Solimano working with us to make sure local communities know about Summer Meal Programs. Learn more about Nick below and check out his post on how your community can help feed kids this summer. It’s not too late to host a site this summer! Our friends at WithinReach have developed a summer meals toolkit to provide you with the information you need and you can e-mail Lmcgowan@uwkc.org for information on start up or expansion grants.
This Saturday – May 14 – you and your family can join thousands of people across the country in taking action against hunger. The annual National Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drives makes it easy for everyone to participate.
Earlier today United Way of King County staff joined more than 400 community members at the WithinReach Marking Connections for Health Luncheon. The Luncheon highlighted the work WithinReach is doing to support Hope and Health for families throughout Washington State. WithinReach is connects more than 200,000 families to food and health resources, through toll-free hotlines, ParentHelp123.org and statewide health coalitions
United Way has released a Request for Proposals for Funding to Support Employment Services for Immigrants and/or Refugees in King County. Beginning in July 2011, United Way will invest $450,000 in programs that prepare and connect low income immigrants and/or refugees to employment opportunities.
As we head into the third day of Hunger Action Week the community is abuzz about the Hunger Challenge. Many people are questioning whether the Hunger Challenge is a gimmick, if it makes poverty look easy or if people taking the challenge are just whiners who can’t go a week without a latte. This type of conversation – the dozens of e-mails, blog posts, comments and tweets – is exactly what Hunger Action Week is all about.
