I am looking for groups that feed / help kids in my country ( USA ) yes we too have kids that go without food, clothes and homes ...

Any suggestions welcome

Thank you

There was that one charity on TV (Feed The Children?) that used to show images from the Ozarks (I think) but that was years ago.

Catholic Charities (Inc.) I believe runs food pantries and soup kitchens locally.

The bread/food project?

Red cross.

Catholic Charities.

Off the top of my head nationwide charities that help feed needy families.

check into the pine ridge native american reservation in south dakota, they always need help, as it's one of the poorest places in the USA.

http://www.oglalalakotana...Links.html

[Edited 11/29/11 15:49pm]

I don't know how nationwide SHARE is, though that's not free and not necessarily geared towards children, but it's a food co-opt at a very low price. Food Banks are nationwide I think. Yeah Feedthechildren.org has a US branch. United Way is a coalition of charities, I'm sure they have some programs for children. WIC programs provide vouchers for certain items of food for children and pregnant moms, again I'm not sure of how nationwide it is.

This is a very serious topic and almost belongs in P&R because there is a lot of politics behind this mess. Especially when we get into the discussion of not just food but nutrition.

Children in this country are truly suffering from poor nutrition. White pasta, white rice, vegetables loaded with sodium all are plentiful in food banks and do nothing for children except leave them hungry for more fattening food and set them up for type II diabetes.

If I had money, and I pray that I will be granted that some day, I want to really get involved in community gardens, here on the gulf coast.

People need nutrition, exersise, and to work together as a community. This area has some of the poorest people in the states and an over 40% obesity rate! It is beyond sad to me.

Thanks for starting this topic.

Deadflow3r said:

This is a very serious topic and almost belongs in P&R because there is a lot of politics behind this mess. Especially when we get into the discussion of not just food but nutrition.

Children in this country are truly suffering from poor nutrition. White pasta, white rice, vegetables loaded with sodium all are plentiful in food banks and do nothing for children except leave them hungry for more fattening food and set them up for type II diabetes.

If I had money, and I pray that I will be granted that some day, I want to really get involved in community gardens, here on the gulf coast.

People need nutrition, exersise, and to work together as a community. This area has some of the poorest people in the states and an over 40% obesity rate! It is beyond sad to me.

Thanks for starting this topic.

I don't know much about community gardens in general, but here close to the area I live they seem to spring up in large vacant lots that are temporarily abandon, and they are usually spearheaded by the 'foreigners' that live in the area, because the vegetables they are accustom to aren't readily available in the stores and it usually takes off from there, people just pitch in from all over. Just a City permit and they're off until the developer decides to build there.

PurpleJedi said:

I've only recently become involved with these folks:

http://www.blessingsinabackpack.org/

Lovely idea.

You weren't watching Dr. Oz and crying like a baby like I was today, were you?

I am thinking about looking into it also.

I have worked with Don Bosco Jonathan over here in Amsterdam. I have also met people from Don Bosco Jonathan in Nairobi who build and run shelters/schools in Nairobi.

Probably there are a lot of Don Bosco Jonathan branches in the US too, simply because there are homeless kids in the US to. And that is their main aim of help and support.

I have always been very impressed by their work. And loved volunteering for the organisation.

http://www.donbosco.org/centers

JamFanHot said:

I've only recently become involved with these folks:

http://www.blessingsinabackpack.org/

Lovely idea.

thanks for posting this!

Deadflower is right...

I myself came upon hard times and when I had to to turn to food banks when I lost everything.

They gave me shit/crap food to feed my children.

Old breads and slimy cold cuts and old meats.

I couldn't eat that food, never mind feed it to my kids. But the need is so high for these food banks that they get and give out what ever they can. No food goes to waste, good or bad. When things got better for me I got started in the MUG - Master Urban Gardener's program in my area.

They help but only provide a very small net of help to a few families.

It is so important to support local community gardens in your area. The Food Project is one of the charities I am involved in my area. This is not a nationwide movement but one that is gaining steam in many cities across the urban lanscape in many of the larger cities.

In the developement were we live, I helped plant food that will grow fresh produce. We let the residents have at it. They strip the garden as the strawberries, tomatoes, cukes, etc. grows in.I fought the program leaders about that garden in our development because I would not allow any food grown on BHA property to be sold for any profit back to BHA residents. They are too poor in some cases to pay for produce in the farmer's market "buck a bag" summer programs.

We have a back pack program called "Casa Start" that also provides books, back packs, and other essentials and food to needy children. They are also a summer program that does wonders for children with no place to be during the summer. In the winter they provide canned goods.

I would check local public schools and churches in your area. Most Catholic churches have a local food bank and always need more help. Its those places that the homeless and the needy know where to go for food. I would begin my search there.

Take the fat kids' food and give it to the poor and hungry. You have plenty of fat kids in America, that should work out fine!

paintedlady said:

Deadflower is right...

I myself came upon hard times and when I had to to turn to food banks when I lost everything.

They gave me shit/crap food to feed my children.

Old breads and slimy cold cuts and old meats.

I couldn't eat that food, never mind feed it to my kids. But the need is so high for these food banks that they get and give out what ever they can. No food goes to waste, good or bad. When things got better for me I got started in the MUG - Master Urban Gardener's program in my area.

They help but only provide a very small net of help to a few families.

It is so important to support local community gardens in your area. The Food Project is one of the charities I am involved in my area. This is not a nationwide movement but one that is gaining steam in many cities across the urban lanscape in many of the larger cities.

In the developement were we live, I helped plant food that will grow fresh produce. We let the residents have at it. They strip the garden as the strawberries, tomatoes, cukes, etc. grows in.I fought the program leaders about that garden in our development because I would not allow any food grown on BHA property to be sold for any profit back to BHA residents. They are too poor in some cases to pay for produce in the farmer's market "buck a bag" summer programs.

We have a back pack program called "Casa Start" that also provides books, back packs, and other essentials and food to needy children. They are also a summer program that does wonders for children with no place to be during the summer. In the winter they provide canned goods.

I would check local public schools and churches in your area. Most Catholic churches have a local food bank and always need more help. Its those places that the homeless and the needy know where to go for food. I would begin my search there.

This brings up a good point; go local and give to smaller non profits verses large ones and your money will likely go further.

Another point.

Candy, donuts, chips etc all count as food.

When a large chain gives food that belongs in the trash or is really hardly food at all to a food bank they can write all that off. Tax deductable, THEY ARE NOT DOING IT FOR THE POOR.

I huge nation wide chain opened up near my home in Worcester. They began giving all their leftover holiday candy and treats to the Quinsigamond Villiage Community Center. The stuff they gave had zero nutritional value what so ever. The QVCC got innondated with it and would call many other places in Worcester to come and pic up some of this junk food.

So all over Worcester kids were being filled up with yesterdays Halloween candy and i am sure plenty of them took it to school for their school snack.

If we really care about poor people and their children we would be making sure they had healthy food that helps with brain as well as body developement.

Fast food actually has a negative effect on a developing mind!

Dave1992 said:

Take the fat kids' food and give it to the poor and hungry. You have plenty of fat kids in America, that should work out fine!

fat kids ARE the poor kids

healthy food does not make you fat.

white pasta, rice, potatoes, crackers, roman noodles, hot dogs are all very inexpensive here in America and make poor kids fat.

We don't have skinny poor kids her in America

We have fat poor kids and slim wealthier ones.

The poorest states therefore are also the fatest states.

Find out if Covenant House has a program. I think New York has one.

try looking locally. even in my small affluent town we have a "freinds of francestown" organization that I dontate to that helps the families in need in my town. You can search for county or parish based orgs too.

just some thoughts, though I'm sure you've already thought these thoughts.

Thank you ~

Some interesting thoughts shared ( and links ! ) and good ideas

I am going to look into them and also see if I can find a very local / backyard group right here where I live ! There are so many children that need help

Find out if there is a club or something like that where half the amount you pay for drinks and admission go towards feeding the homeless or whoever. We have a club here that does that whenever big events are held.

Deadflow3r said:

Dave1992 said:

Take the fat kids' food and give it to the poor and hungry. You have plenty of fat kids in America, that should work out fine!

fat kids ARE the poor kids

healthy food does not make you fat.

white pasta, rice, potatoes, crackers, roman noodles, hot dogs are all very inexpensive here in America and make poor kids fat.

We don't have skinny poor kids her in America

We have fat poor kids and slim wealthier ones.

The poorest states therefore are also the fatest states.

Interesting.

Make them go vegetarian (including not consuming animal fat) for a year or two. Make them do sports. Make them learn an instrument at school or at least be in touch with music (it will increase their awareness in life which will also affect their selfawareness)!

Here is the secret: Stop eating McDonalds! All of it, they are a scam and make you feel like shit overtime, take it from me.

Machaela said:

Thank you ~

Some interesting thoughts shared ( and links ! ) and good ideas

I am going to look into them and also see if I can find a very local / backyard group right here where I live ! There are so many children that need help

you're right there are so many children going without food and their basic needs. when i traveled to pine ridge native american reservation years ago and saw first hand what conditions the children are living in there, it made me so sad! the conditions there are the same or worse than the slums i visited in brazil.

Natives are stigmatized till this day and never fully recovered from how they were treated in the past, and no one seems to give a damn.

Children's Organic Ethnobotany Garden is a pretty large gardening project run here by Makeda Dredd (I love her, she such a sweetheart), that coordinates with local schools on nutritional programs, gardening, cooking skills and a host of other projects regarding farming, the main garden is at the World Beat Center in Balboa Park

this is an idea, may be available in other areas even though it's not about feeding children, it still helps.

Still more wonderful ideas

morningsong said:

Children's Organic Ethnobotany Garden is a pretty large gardening project run here by Makeda Dredd (I love her, she such a sweetheart), that coordinates with local schools on nutritional programs, gardening, cooking skills and a host of other projects regarding farming, the main garden is at the World Beat Center in Balboa Park

this is an idea, may be available in other areas even though it's not about feeding children, it still helps.

Gift of Health sponsors health insurance premiums for children with chronic conditions from low-income families in San Diego County. It can cost as little as $180.00 to sponsor an entire year of a child's insurance premiums through the Gift of Health. This is Community Health Improvement Partners' charity of choice.

What a wonderful place, thanks for sharing.

http://feedingamerica.org/get-involved/corporate-opportunities/become-a-partner.aspx

Feeding America is a nationwide organization dedicated to ending hunger here at home.

They accept monetary donations. They stock food pantries, do advocacy and also work on changing public policy. I think they're great.

From their website:

Feeding America is the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. We are ranked as one of Worth magazine’s best charities and have been identified as one of the Top 10 Most Efficient Charities by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, with 98 percent of all product and financial donations received by Feeding America going toward helping Americans struggling with hunger.

That number is so important, since many prominent charities have a shocking record when it comes to the percentage of donations that actually go directly to the cause instead of lavish salaries and waste.

http://www.endhungerinamerica.org/index.html

This is not a direct-help organization, but I urge anyone concerned about this issue to click and learn about the facts of hunger in the United States. This website offers lots of very interesting perspectives, ideas, statistics, etc. Some fairly revolutionary ideas about changing the way aid is distributed to families, which I really like. Food for thought, pun intended.

Dave1992 said:

Deadflow3r said:

fat kids ARE the poor kids

healthy food does not make you fat.

white pasta, rice, potatoes, crackers, roman noodles, hot dogs are all very inexpensive here in America and make poor kids fat.

We don't have skinny poor kids her in America

We have fat poor kids and slim wealthier ones.

The poorest states therefore are also the fatest states.

Interesting.

Make them go vegetarian (including not consuming animal fat) for a year or two. Make them do sports. Make them learn an instrument at school or at least be in touch with music (it will increase their awareness in life which will also affect their selfawareness)!

Did you understand the part about being poor?

America isn't a western European country where school and music lessons are available for the masses. Good education, music lessons, sports, vegetables, it's not available for the masses, it's only for the rich people.

I do agree that there should be more education about food and music and sports should be available for everyone. However, the kapitalist US system is aimed at no governmental interference. So, also no back up for poor or sick people.

It's easy to judge from a more luxureous position.