Our Cause
Childhood hunger is a very real issue in the United States. Nearly 8% of American households with children can be categorized as “food insecure” which means that these families worry about not having enough money to buy food and as a result often skip meals, substitute cheaper food, or eat less.1
On any given night, as many as 13 million children in the United States go to bed hungry. That means that 1 out of every 6 children may not have access to the food they need to ensure they grow up healthy and strong.2 While inadequate nutrition is problematic no matter your age, childhood hunger is especially catastrophic.
Without proper nutrition, kids don’t have the energy to play or learn. Hungry children struggle to focus and often fall behind in school. Kids living in food insecure households typically experience increased behavioral issues. What is especially concerning is that hunger during a child’s formative years can negatively impact his health and development for the rest of his life. As a result, adults who grew up in food insecure homes often struggle to break free from the cycles of poverty and ill health, making it more likely that their own children lack access to adequate nutrition.
We are excited to support No Kid Hungry, the national campaign to end childhood hunger in the US spearheaded by Share Our Strength, in the quest to help feed hungry kids. For every Polly Pineapple teether you buy, we make a donation to No Kid Hungry that can provide a hungry American child with up to 21 meals--an entire week's worth.
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Soothe your child. Feed another.®
1 United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. (2015). Food Security in the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/79761/err-215.pdf?v=42636.
2 Ibid.