Talk About It ... We have a lot of myths about hunger. Learn the facts (www.worldhunger.org), then start a conversation with your children in the grocery store as you pick up items for your local food shelf.

• Ask your children about their vision of a hungry person. They may have a few stereotypes. Let them know that in the U.S., children make up nearly 40% of all emergency food clients, and another 20% are elderly Americans. Plus, nearly 40% of all households served by food banks include someone who has a job, but they still need assistance.
• Discuss the importance of good nutrition. Even very young children can understand that we need certain foods to keep us healthy, and that some people aren’t getting what they require. (Research indicates that if young children experience even mild undernutrition during critical periods of growth, it may affect their physical growth and brain development.)
• Ask your child for ideas about helping the hungry. Listen carefully and see how you might implement some of them. (For more ideas, visit www.kidscanmakeadifference.org) Impart a sense of excitement about making a difference.

Learn About It ... Reading books about hunger and homelessness will get conversations going with your children.

“Hunger does not exist because the world does not produce enough food. We have the experience and the technology right now to end the problem. The challenge we face is not production of food and wealth, but more equitable distribution. It would take a modest effort to end hunger and malnutrition worldwide. Hunger is a political condition. And so the key to overcoming hunger is to change the politics of hunger.” SOURCE: Bread for the World Institute

At just 13 years old, Emmy Whiteman initiated a family volunteer project that netted the local Little Brothers/Friends of the Elderly a tidy $1,800. She organized a dessert party from start to finish that raised over $900, an amount matched by the national Little Brothers organization. The experience was character building for Emmy, says her mother, Nora: “It allowed her to see how the actions of one person can have a large ripple effect.” Photo: Emmy with friends from Little Brothers of the Elderly

Doing Good Together is offering an exclusive service to schools, faith communities, businesses, parent groups and other organizations in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area. Each month, we will provide descriptions of 10 creative new volunteer opportunities specifically for local families with children. This service will let you suggest timely ways for your families to make a real difference in the community—ways they probably haven’t thought of before! A year’s paid subscription is 10 issues, 10 listings per month. For more information or for a sampling of past listings, contact us:

email: mail@doinggoodtogether.org

phone: 612-822-6502

web: http://www.doinggoodtogether.org