The world is a busy place and this is a busy time in it. We just marked the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech. We are on the cusp of intervention in Syria. Here in the nation’s capital, budget battles loom. It often feels like there is no easy answer to the world’s big problems.
Amid these challenges, it is daunting to ask folks to pay attention to yet another of the most stubborn challenges – continuing, debilitating hunger that plagues girls and boys, old and young, black, white, Latino and every other race in every single county.
Yet, unlike so many problems, where we don’t know what to do, hunger is a solvable problem: Providing nutritious food for a child is a game changer for that child. It means his cognitive capacity can fully develop and that he can pay attention in school (education); it means her immune system can fully develop and she can better fight disease (that’s health). And ultimately, that education and improved health make it more likely that both he and she will be able to get and hold a job.
So, solving hunger is more than an act of compassion. It is the building block of a strong society.
That’s why we’ve asked a group of respected civic leaders, elected officials and business leaders to blog against hunger this month as part of an effort to raise awareness about hunger and compel people to help solve it.
As you scroll through the blogs, please leave your comments behind those that intrigue or inspire. We need your ideas, feedback, participation and your passion to stimulate a conversation about hunger and why solving it matters. It’s a big job. We can’t do it alone. But, together, we can solve hunger one child at a time.
Elected Officials
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Advocacy into Action: How Local Government Can Build Food Justice Coalitions Valerie Ervin Councilmember — Montgomery County, Maryland @ValerieErvin |
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DC Needs the Insight, Knowledge, Ideas, and Passion of Hunger Advocates Mary Cheh Councilmember — Ward 3, District of Columbia @marycheh |
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Washington Must Address Issue Undermining the Health and Prosperity of Its Citizens Greg Ten Eyck Director of Public Affairs Eastern Division — Safeway Inc. @safeway |
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Partners for Success Loretta Monterastelli DeLuca, FASAE CEO — DelCor Technology Solutions @lorettadeluca |
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One Man, Helping Thousands Bill Marriott Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board — Marriott International, Inc. @Marriott |
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An International Perspective – Hunger on a Global Scale Sneha Raghavan Research Assistant — Center for Global Development @CGDev | @_SnehaRaghavan |
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Desperate and Hungry in the Nation’s Capital Susan Popkin Senior Fellow — Urban Institute @SJPopkin |
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It’s Solvable Enid Borden Founder, President and CEO — National Foundation to End Senior Hunger @NFESH1 |
Partner Agencies
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For I Hungered, and Ye Gave Me Meat Elder Eddie B Pruitte, Jr. Pastor & Founder — Holiness Tabernacle Church Of God In Christ — Prince William County |
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Eliminating Hunger Takes Team Work Jackie DeCarlo Executive Director — MANNA (MD) @MannaFoodCenter |
Hunger Advocates
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Universal School Breakfast Means Universally Nourished Children Chef Ann Cooper Founder and President — Food Family Farming Foundation @chefannc |
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Nutritious Food Equals Good Health Josh Morgan Wide Receiver — Washington Redskins @redskins |
Additional Resource
- American Heart Association — Linking Food Production with Healthier Diets (PDF)