To Me, Hunger Work is Crucial

As part of our celebration of Women History Month, we’re sharing stories from women connected to the No Kid Hungry campaign. We kick off this celebration on International Women's Day with a post from No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassador, Libby Israel. Youth Ambassadors are college-aged leaders working with community partners to fight childhood hunger. Stay tuned for more stories from women like Libby.

young white woman with blonde hair and smiling at the camera

Child hunger is something that has always been at the forefront of my mind. It has impacted my community, my schools, and even my family.

Growing up, I remember hunger being an issue at many of the schools I attended. I knew kids who went home on Friday afternoon and were unsure of when they would eat again, and I also knew kids who relied on summer meal programs when school was out of session.

When I saw the opportunity to work with No Kid Hungry I knew it was something I needed to do.

I got into hunger work because I wanted to make sure kids all across the country had access to meal programs just like my classmates and I did. I was lucky enough to attend a school that offered free lunch to all students and had a thriving summer meal program. However, the reality is many kids are unable to access these programs. 

Child hunger is a real issue in America, but we have the solutions to solve it. Throughout my time as a No Kid Hungry Youth Ambassador, I have had the pleasure of working with my partner organization Nebraska Appleseed.

In this role, I have conducted outreach to schools about innovative child nutrition programs, federal waivers and flexibilities due to COVID-19, and national best practices. Together we have analyzed data on school meal participation across the state and researched ways to make it more effective and accessible.

We have also worked to recognize the hardworking school nutrition professionals who have illustrated their continued dedication to their students throughout the pandemic through statewide celebrations and our Nebraska Nutrition Heroes Hall of Fame. 

To me, hunger work is crucial. We know that when more kids eat they do better in school, have fewer tardies and absences, and are able to learn and grow to their full potential.

No Kid Hungry’s work towards eradicating child hunger is something I am proud to be a part of. I am grateful I have been given the opportunity to not only give back to my community, but work to one day make no kid hungry a reality.