Today, 1 in 5 children in America lives with hunger. At No Kid Hungry, we know what works to alleviate this crisis. Programs like breakfast in the classroom and summer meals are essential to ensure kids have the nutrition to learn, grow and thrive–365 days a year. These programs are a lifeline for millions of children and families.
In addition to these essential programs, we also know that ending childhood hunger requires addressing the systemic challenges that families face. That is why over the past years, we have expanded our efforts to programs that focus on supporting single moms so they can help their kids. Single moms are the heart of so many households with kids and often have to make impossible choices between putting food on the table, paying rent and covering childcare.
How the Work is Happening
No Kid Hungry is investing $6.7 million across 28 organizations in 12 states to help families – particularly single moms with lower incomes – and their children achieve financial security. This work focuses on solutions that remove barriers to increased incomes and wages for single mothers and reduce the cost burden of food. We are also working to change the narrative about single moms and their kids.
But this isn’t just about funding. It’s about bringing together the right partners, resources and expertise to create a movement that will ensure single moms are doing well so their children don’t experience hunger ever again. No Kid Hungry serves as a bridge between communities, nonprofits and policy makers ensuring every dollar has the greatest possible impact.
By convening and collaborating with organizations on the ground, we can ensure our fight against childhood hunger is coordinated, focused and effective, and this is how you create change.
The Jeremiah Summit
This March, over 500 moms gathered in the 5th annual conference organized by one of our partners in this work – The Jeremiah Program. The event, sponsored partly by No Kid Hungry, highlighted the impact of our partnership and the power of collective dreaming. Jeremiah Program aims to disrupt the cycle of poverty for single mothers and their kids, two generations at a time. They serve moms in nine cities across the country: Austin, TX; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Brooklyn, NY; Fargo, ND-Moorhead, MN; Las Vegas, NV; Minneapolis, MN; Rochester, MN; and St. Paul, MN.
The conference focused on community leadership and its impact in ending poverty for two generations – moms and kids. After all, supporting single moms ensures their kids will have the meals they need to thrive. Moms attended sessions about parenting, financial strategies and investments, among other topics. Matthew Desmond, author of Poverty, by America, was the keynote speaker and spoke about the systemic challenges that single moms face, including access to childcare and reliable transportation.
Many moms participated in a Spark Tank competition. Similar to the TV show Shark Tank, moms were able to present their entrepreneurial ideas to a panel of judges – that included No Kid Hungry culinary partners like chef Christina Nguyen – for a chance to secure money to make their dreams come true.
Additionally, the conference featured a panel with Chastity Lord, president and CEO of the Jeremiah Program, and Lilian Singh, senior VP of family and economic mobility at No Kid Hungry. They spoke about the potential for kids if you create the right conditions for their moms and how critical narrative change is.
Looking Ahead
Stay tuned for more stories about this work and how addressing the root causes of hunger and supporting single moms can make No Kid Hungry a reality in America.
