Show I "Food a a basic right for every American child” says Bill Shore executive director of Share Our ' Strength the organization that anti-hung- er works with PARADE and ocher partners to spon- sor the annual Great American Bake Sale1" (see base) "This is the wealthiest nation on earth and we have the resources to wipe out child hunger in our time All it cakes is the political will to make the welfare of children one of our Sandra Mailer 42 has come with her son Matthew 11 to pick up emergency food for die first time in her life Mailer worked as a computer specialist for die US Forest Service for 20 years quit because of family problems then was laid off from an administrative assistant job when the economy slid south "We Join Us for The Great American Bake Sale don’t have health insurance anymore” she says "One more bad turn and I don’t know what well da” Mailer stares down at a paper bag containing cans of tuna boom of cereal and nation’s cop priorities” The first step is coming to terms with die shattering effect the unstable economy has had on families “In spice a big jar of peanut butter 1 never thought Td be stand- of recent reports that the ing here” she says "It kind of makes you fad depressed and worthless But I have to do whatevtf if takes to feed Matthew” She says her son economy has rebounded our pantries and soup kitchens are trying to serve a surging number of families” says Robert Fpmey president and CEO of America’s Second refuses to eat the cheap meals ofmilk and powdered mashed potatoes that she’s been forced to serve and he’s started acting up at school Authorities have insisted that he attend dasses "We had everything once” Mailer says “Now ' we have to start over from CJ til M s&Sui£b7 'C: AMERICAN BAKE SALE — (S) anger-manageme- Above: Dr Povmn ofthi Soutft IMar and har sow Matthew 11 take heme bags of food from hie Left: Sandra In Portland Ora nodiina” Under the radar below the safety net The South Bronx Health Center siu in the shadow of NhvYodc’s Bruckner Ex- pressway This facility buik by acharity called The Children’s Health Fluid is at the center of mother commu-t-nitthat doesn’t register on most Americans’ radar In a white lab coat and tic decotared with balloons Dr Shawn Bowen' 38 neats children in n one of urban America’s most neighborhoods He came here because his studentloans would be forgiven if he worked in this "third world” environment Ife stayed when he learned of die fathomless need and die importance of an mate role modeL Like many of America’s emergency medical providers Dr Bowen says he's seeing ah increase in die number ofdiildren suffering from die medr ical effects of malnutrition called “failure to thrived (FIT) These children have trouble iconcetx' ' oonunuea state-of-the-a- rt Harvest a network of more dan 200 regional food banks Second Harvest distributed nearly 2 bfflioa pounds of food last year to more dun23 million hungry Americans including 9 million duUren "Millions of people have used up their unemployment insurance benefits spent their savings sold off their assets and come to us because they have no way to feed their families" Forney explains v Rein everything to nothing Oregon has one of the nation’s highest rates of child hunger A quarter of die state’s children face food insecurity At the CroMtoads Clipboard in Portland a parade of formerly middle- - class families including Alesia Hamilton 28 and her son Denick 7 appear stunned that they have to ap peal to a chancy for help feeding their children ARAM Area 4 2004 PAM 7 y hard-bitte- African-America- n : "J" w m Nmomnnyor Draw Ocftofarri 7 J a nmpionwwN Help end America’s child hunger crisis by joining the second annual Great American Bake Sale"" a joint effort by PARADE and Share Our Strength the national anti hunaar g mil oovei tv ey oroiniiallnn- - Rftcosponsored BjMwcniiviMNiMn Crocfcar and Tyson Foods Inc Dtuy ITS EASY TO HELP Just fellow threw slmplo stops: 1) Register today it’s free and simple Youl receive a Great American Bake Sale111 poster to help promote your bake sale along with planning tips 2) Hold your ' bain sal Gather a friends or group of your family cook up some sweet stuff end hold a bake sale from now to July 25th 3) Sand In your funds share Our Strength wil dbtribute the money you wised to the highest naiad areas In America as welts innovative chMd hunger programs howto get involved visit wwwgwatamoricmbafcesrioory You also or cal visit wwwiparedccpm bn the WOb To learn |