The Fight Against Summertime Hunger

One of the reasons we decided to live off $10 a week this year is because we know that there are other families out there that are struggling. Families that need help making ends meet, feeding their kids, and feeding themselves, and it didn't seem right that for the amount of money we were spending on our own food in a month we could help feed 25 of those families. It makes sense to cut back a little if it means life for someone else.

That is why we decided to match our food budget each month with a donation to food/water organizations that know how to help people who really need it. We are a little behind on our pledges, three months behind (it seems like summer is flying by), but we won't let our lack of dedication to schedules stop us from doing what we promised! This month we would like to look at a different need of one of our favorite charities. They do such great work and have REALLY great staff. ;) Children's Hunger Fund has been around for 19 years and have been dedicated to helping others, at home and throughout the world.

"Children's Hunger Fund seeks to alleviate the suffering of children by equipping God's Church to communicate the Gospel through effective compassion ministry."

Their mission this time of year is to aid in summertime hunger. You can read all about Benton Harbor, Michigan here, a city where 86.9% of the school-aged children receive free or subsidized lunches, but not during the summer. Without the schools what will the kids eat? In this video, a man (who seems to be working at a local clothing distribution of some sort) says this: "We've given food out to families who haven't eaten in 2 or 3 days. It's unfathomable in this country." It is. We live in America and some of our very own neighbors are hungry. Not only for food, but for hope as well (but really for food, too). "It's in towns like this, like Benton Harbor, MI, where CHF hopes to equip pastors, local pastors, who love the people of that town, to come in and begin to minister with compassion to the people of that city."

This story is not just a Benton Harbor story, it is one that is told all around the world. People in our own neighborhoods are in need, and we are all called to love them. Kids are hungry in our cities, especially now, during summer when they can't receive food services at school. CHF is equipped to fulfill this need and bring the hope of our Savior to these hurting families. We're glad to be able to give and see the work of such a faithful and necessary ministry.

[Our friends over at "Seed A Need" are also working to fight hunger at home which they say is twice as great in the summertime. Check out a video of theirs with some great ideas here!]

We love the work and the people of CHF so much that we have also decided that we would love to sweat with them... lol. On August 28th in Salt Lake City, Utah, USANA with be sponsoring the 2010 Children's Hunger Run, a 5K! And we will be road tripping all the way! We haven't even announced this officially to our families yet, but we are just so excited to go and run for a great cause! So stay tuned on the details of our trip, it is coming up soon!