Food is an important part of a balanced diet. ~Fran Lebowitz
49.1 million Americans - including nearly 17 million children - lack the means to regularly put enough nutritious food on the table . They are food insecure and struggle with hunger.
* Children who struggle with hunger are sick more often, recover more slowly, and are more likely to be hospitalized, at an average cost of $12,000 per pediatric stay.
* Hunger impedes our children’s ability to learn and perform academically. Undernourished children under the age of 3 cannot learn as much, as fast or as well.
* Children who regularly do not get enough nutritious food have have more behavioral, emotional and academic problems and tend to be more aggressive and anxious.
SHARE OUR STRENGTH HAS RAISED OVER $265 MILLION AND PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR MORE THAN 1,000 NONPROFITS WORKING TO END HUNGER.
(Source: Share Our Strength)
It's important to remember that while many of us eat (or often eat to excess) whatever or whenever we want, there are many people (and most importantly many children) in the United States that go without food. Projects like the Share our Strength Great American Bake Sale raise funds that go towards: reduced/free lunch programs in public schools, summer meal programs to insure those same children are fed on school breaks, and many other different food assistance programs for children and adults.
Anita Chu (who wrote the awesome Field Guide to Cookies, which I got for Christmas in my flurry of baking-related presents) is organizing a SF Food Blogger bake sale (though you don't actually have to be a blogger to help out) at Omnivore Books, an amazing cooking/food love bookstore in the Noe Valley neighborhood of San Francisco. Her blog, Dessert First--so cute! I always wanted to eat dessert first!--has lots more information (and you can email her if you'd like to bake or help out) here.
I'm going to make brownies (omg, the best brownies ever, that will be a soon post) and something else. Maybe espresso chocolate shortbread? I want to make Anita's recipe for Apple Crumb Bars, it's a great excuse to go to the farmer's market. Oooh, I could get cider too... yum.
If you're in the San Francisco area and want something sweet from 12 until 3pm on Saturday, stop by Omnivore! You'll get to try my brownies ;o) Not to mention if you stick around, you'll hear Rose Levy Beranbaum talk about her new book, Rose's Heavenly Cakes. Mmmmm, cake.
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