No Child Left Behind - Something of Passion | Day 16 of 30-DAY #BLOGGING CHALLENGE - Part 3

Hello everyone and Welcome back.

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Before I get started, I wanted to send my heartfelt condolences to all family members and friends who lost loves ones in the condominium collapse in Florida. With deep sympathy, I pray that this time of sorrow allows you to embrace and reflect upon the joy and good times you once shared with them.

Not only did the impact of this tragedy affect all in the U.S. and around the world, it reminds us how fragile life is. How unexpected it can vanish without warning. Embrace your loved ones. If you haven't talked with extended family, contact them as soon as you can. Stay in touch. And remember, continue to love them no matter the circumstances.

According to Day 16, the question being asked is "what am I passionate about". The answer is that whenever I hear of a child enduring any type of situation that involves hunger, I understand. I not only understand, I sympathize. And I empathize.

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I told the story once on the other platform of not having shoes to wear to school when I was a young child. Unless you experience this type of anguish and humiliation, you will never, and I mean never understand. The thoughts that run through a child's mind is heartbreaking.

However, it's nothing compared to the devastating thoughts that children have when they are hungry. The problem of child hunger is not new to the world. We have been grappling with this issue for as long as I can remember. And I'm now a senior citizen, having realized what child hunger meant before the age of ten.

Our family was considered poor. With a family of nine, funds were tight. Resources were not plentiful. But we didn't starve or ever go a day without having some type of nourishment. That was when my parents taught us to be grateful for whatever you had to eat and wear because there were millions of children in the world who did not even have what little we did.

As an adult, I came to realize how much worse the situation was than I knew. According to the American Psychological Association, research shows that food insecurity and hunger can harm the health and educational outcomes of children. In fact, they go on to explain that hunger hurts children and have negative effects in numerous ways such as:

• leading to malnutrition, health problems caused by a nutritionally-deficient diet.
• being stigmatized through media messages and public discourse. Families often work to keep their food insecurity hidden, and children may feel stigmatized when using free and reduced lunch programs and other social services;
• being associated with higher prevalence of poor health conditions, including stomachaches, headaches, and colds; and
• chronic illness among both preschool-and school-age children ¹

I feel as though I'm a generous person with my time and my finances. In order for the world to be a better place, I always rely upon the scripture:

Give, and it shall be given unto you;
good measure, pressed down,
and shaken together, and running over,
shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal
it shall be measured to you again.
Luke 6:38 (King James Version Bible) ²

The best example of the plight of hungry children can be seen by the tireless work and dedication of Mother Theresa. She devoted her life to India's poor and is the epitome of child advocacy.

With the above scripture in mind, all my life I have been devoted to giving to the needy as best I could. But my target is children. Since I live in the U.S., I've tried to help those children as according to Children Incorporated, 13 million face hunger each day. ³

You don't have to be rich to give to charitable organization that help alleviate child dhunger. In fact, I'm nowhere near that classification of individuals. However, I learned long ago that it's not about how much you give. It's the fact that you give at all and have a willing spirit when you do.

In another article, I wrote about child hunger and my thoughts on why it occurs. A fellow Hive member responded to my post and states that he read that it wasn't an issue of not enough food available, but the cause was distribution. That was an amazing statement I felt because I can't imagine with all the developments in advanced transportation methods that getting food and essential supplies to needy families would be the easiest dilemma to solve.

Below are my favorite charities I feel are responsive to the needs of children

COMMUNITY FOOD BANKS

I've been involved with food banks in my community for over 20 years. The work they to in crisis, as well as on a normal routine basis, to help feed children and families is remarkable. These local food banks distribute food through food pantries. Of course, they depend heavily on private donations.

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CHARITIES SPECIFICALLY FOR CHILDREN

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My personal favorite charity is """Feed the Children".** I first learned about this organization about 20 years ago. Since then, I've been an avid supporter.

Feed The Children was established in 1979. It's headquarters reside in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This organization is a non-profit that is entirely focused on alleviating childhood hunger. According to Wiki, the organization's mission is to provide hope and resources for those individuals, especially children who don't have the essentials necessary for a healthy existence.⁴

The organization provides food, educational supplies, essentials for relief in natural disasters to those in America and in ten other countries around the world. Also, in America, the organization is spread across five states that operate distribution centers in California, Indiana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.⁴ I wish there were more distribution centers and pantries because I feel even these five centers are not enough. The pandemic made the situation even worse in 2020. This crisis is still continues.

I have written articles sharing my thoughts on child hunger. believe that there is no reason why the hunger in children can't be solved. This is a problem that should be foremost in the minds of all adults.

I truly believe, and I've said it before, that children are our future. If we are to realize their potential and provide them with the tools they need to succeed, then how can we not provide them the basic hierarchy need of self-preservation of having enough to sustain their bodies.

I will continue to do my part to join in my local community to ensure that the needs of children in term of food availability are addressed.