The thought of one child in the United States going to bed hungry every night is heartbreaking. And unfortunately, it’s not happening to just one child. Millions of children suffer from food insecurity.
This means they do not have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.
Feeding America projects that in 2021, up to 13 million children may experience food insecurity. In South Florida alone, nearly 25% of school-age children don’t know from where their next meal is coming.
WPLG-Local 10 and Publix Super Markets are teaming up for a second consecutive year to address this growing crisis.
Through our “Food For Thought” campaign, we are raising awareness about the plight of hunger affecting our schools, neighborhoods and communities.
Food insecurity has a wide impact.
Research shows food insecurity is associated with a host of negative outcomes for children, including health complications, increased use of emergency department services, the inability to learn and perform well academically, poorer social skills, anxiety and depression.
We will be filing on-air reports about the food insecurity problem in South Florida and the diverse ways we will come up with, alongside local organizations, to address it.
These reports will be broadcast every week in September, during Hunger Action Month.
In the meantime, if you’d like to find out more or get involved, the list below connects you with some local nonprofits that offer programs to combat hunger and serve children in our community. If your nonprofit organization provides food services to South Florida families and would like our Food For Thought campaign to know about it, simply email us at community@local10.com.
Our goal is to connect those who have the means to help with those helping families fight food insecurity every day.
Together, we can make a difference.
- Feeding South Florida: 954-518-1818, Feedingsouthflorida.org
- Joshua’s Heart Foundation: 305-944-4452, joshuasheart.org
- Miami-Dade Office of Community Engagement: 305-995-1367, Engagemiamidade.net