Ending Hunger - One Backpack at a Time

UPDATE**

I wanted to take another moment to remind you of this great cause. The team is collecting backpacks THIS Saturday August 21 at Little Italy Mercato farmer's market.

If you can't make Saturday, you can still help by donating VITAL funds to the organization here: http://www.firstgiving.com/food4kids 

Join us tomorrow night, Aug 18 from 8-9 PM PDT for our twitter power hour! Follow the fun on Twitter with hash-tag #Food4KidsSD

Thanks for helping!

XOXO Beth

REPOST:

Everyday Jason packs Lucas' lunch for school. We buy things like fresh veggies, nice whole wheat bread, organic peanut butter and pack his box full of food to fuel his day of learning. For my child, always having fresh, yummy food to eat is a given - and getting to buy a hot lunch at school is a treat on Fridays or that day that we ran of bread in the morning. He is lucky. Many kids in San Diego are not. 

For many kids in San Diego getting a hot lunch isn't a treat, it's all they get. For many, it's the only food they are going to get. When they go home over the weekend there may not be food for them, or their siblings. 

In 2007, The San Diego Food Bank launched the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program to provide food to get chronically hungry elementary school students through the weekend.  Every Friday, participating children receive a backpack with child friendly items such as peanut butter, pop-top canned goods, cereal, juice boxes, fruit cups, raisins, pudding cups, granola bars, shelf-stable milk and macaroni and cheese  tucked inside.

To qualify, students must attend a school where at least 80 percent of the population receives free or reduced cost lunches, and receive a teacher referral. During the 2008-2009 school year, the program served just 200 children in eight schools throughout San Diego County. With our help, they are now serving 550 children in 19 schools and are looking to expand that to 850 children this year.

Three Ways You Can Help

• Make a donation! You can find the fundraising page at www.firstgiving.com/food4kids. You can make donations here, add comments, and keep track of our progress. This launches today and runs through the end of August. And, a BIG THANKS to NBC San Diego, which is contributing the 7 percent cut firstgiving.com takes of the total raised on the site so we don't lose any money you give!

• Collect neutral backpacks (as in no logos and preferably black or red since those are the kids’ favorite colors) and kid-friendly non-perishable foods (applesauce, cereal, fruit cups, mac ‘n cheese, pretzels, etc. While they ask for no "junk food" we need to be aware that the goal is not nutrition education, just filling hungry tummies.) The collection for this food and backpack drive will be at the Little Italy Mercato on August 21. Hold your own drive at your office, in your neighborhood, with your church or temple group, or your kid's scouting troop, then bring it all to us on August 21.

• A “dollar-a-dish” event throughout the month of August by participating restaurants. This started out as an offer by Matt Gordon and Scott Watkins of Urban Solace. This year there are 33 restaurants participating -- at every price point. These restaurants will select one of their best selling dishes and for the month of August will contribute $1 for every dish sold. See the list below and please go, order the featured dish, and help us by enjoying yourself! Organize a party with your friends or colleagues at your favorite restaurant and have everyone bring filled backpacks and order the featured dish.

Dollar-a-Dish Restaurants:

Alchemy: Sea Bass Ceviche
Bencotto: Pollo all Pizzaiola
Café Chloe: Steak Frites
Casa de Bandini
Casa de Pico
Casa Guadalajara
Cosmopolitan Restaurant: Watermelon Salad
Cowboy Star: Meyer Natural "Certified Humane" Filet
Croce’s
Cucina Urbana: Pizza ordered at lunch 
Dining Details (Caterer)
Gaglione Brothers: Meatball Sandwich "Father Joe"
George’s at the Cove: Date salad with arugula, goat cheese, walnuts, and pomegranite vinaigrette
JRDN: Lamb Lollipop
Jsix: Monthly Sustainable Seafood Dish
Kensington Grill:: Hog Bar 
Lotsa Pasta: Timpano
NINE-TEN: Hamachi Sashimi with marinated baby shitake mushrooms and scallion vinaigrette
O’Brothers: Big O Burger
Pizza Fusion: Farmers Market Pizza
Playa Grill: Carnitas Plate
Ritual Tavern: Niman Ranch Skirt Steak served with Roasted Market Vegetables, Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Sherry Demi Glace
Royal India: Chicken Tikka Masala
Sessions Public: Ribeye Fries
Soleluna Cafe: Pasta of the Day
SoNo Trading Company: Cuban Sandwich
Starlite: Jidori Chicken
Stingaree: Manage a Trois of Fried Point Vincente Calamari, Mexican White Shrimp, Bay Scallops with Sherry Chili Aioli and Lemon
Terra: Sea Bass
The Red Door: Meat Loaf
Urban Solace: Duckaroni (Mac n' Chese with Blue Cheese, Duck Confit, Roasted Garlic, Arugula, and Scallion and New York White Cheddar Mac n' Cheese with Caramalized Bacon and Charred Tomatoes
Zenbu: Hot Rock 

Spread the Word!

Please help us all spread the word about this fabulous program with your own blog, Liking theFacebook Page (our page is www.facebook.com/food4kids), and using the Twitter hash-tag #food4kidsSD. 

Comments

[Stefanie]

Excellent post. I will be spreading the word and participating.

[Jack]

That sounds like a very cool program.

[PateMargaret31]

freelance writer