Director's Blog - Kudos From Bridget

posted on Nov 13th 2009 at 11:22am by Bridget Clark Whitney

One in six children will worry when their next meal will come. That’s more than 12 million children in America who are food insecure.  Food insecurity is a harsh reality for a growing number of American families. In research conducted by the Rockefeller Foundation, the percentage of adults who say they are worried about putting food on the table increased from 27 percent in 2007 to 57 percent in 2008.  Those who are very worried about affording adequate food for their families rose from 7 percent to 20 percent during the same period.  Often, the most vulnerable in a food insecure family are the children. In 2002, when teachers began noticing children rummaging through trash cans for food, Kids’ Food Basket was born. You, the KFB community, have been the reason we have grown to serve 16 elementary schools in Kent County, providing sack suppers for 1,560 children every week day.  I am incredibly inspired by your generosity, your willingness to give despite the economic climate, and your true commitment to ending hunger in our community. I am moved to tears by your gestures of kindness, your letters and notes of support and your desire to ensure that, for Grand Rapids’ kids, lunch isn’t the last meal of the day.  A teacher at one of the schools that we serve wrote to you, all of KFB’s volunteers, contributors and friends, “Because of you I am given the chance to build trust with these most needy students by placing food into their hands at the end of each day. Each of the 26 children in my classroom has their own story. Each has their own needs and struggles.  I have hope against all these odds though, because I know that I am not alone in my struggle to provide the basic needs of these children. Kids’ Food Basket is in my corner caring, fighting, and encouraging me to continue to touch children and weave the thread of hope into their lives.”  Call me. Let’s chat. I’d love to tell you more about the great things happening at KFB.