With March now officially here, Child Hunger Awareness Month begins. While often not spoken about, child hunger is an ongoing and local issue. One in five children suffer from food insecurity within the West Michigan area, and that number only rises when looking at other areas of the state and country. Although a difficult topic, it needs to be spoken about in order to create a change within the community.
Several organizations in the West Michigan area help donate food and meals to those struggling, but Kids Food Basket caters specifically to kids and families. According to their website, in Ottawa, Kent, Muskegon, and Allegan alone, over 34, 200 children are food insecure. During the school year, children have easier access to meals thanks to school breakfasts and lunches, however, during the summer months, the number of those who need meals increases dramatically. With Kids Food Basket aiming to lower the number of those who are affected by hunger, they operate year-round and help grow, cultivate, and deliver fresh produce and meals to families around the community every day.
March is when “Go Orange” takes place; a time when efforts about spreading the word and increasing volunteering and donations increase. To help reach the community, KFB partners with schools in the area as well as other local organizations. Eastern is one of those schools, and plays a large role in collecting donations for the charity. Eastern’s KFB club also works with Northern and Central to promote some friendly competition amongst the Forest Hills district to bring in the competitive spirit.
The week of 3/11-3/16 is known as “Go Orange Week.” During this week, students at Eastern High School, Middle School, and the elementary schools, will partake in a donation contest. In the high school, third-hour classes will bring in donations that count as points. Donations are worth either positive or negative points. Students can either try and gain as many points as possible by bringing in positive point-valued donations or try and sabotage other classes by placing negative point donations in their baskets.
There will also be a spirit week during that time. Monday will be PJ Day, Tuesday is teachers and students swap outfits, Wednesday is tropical day, Thursday is jersey day, and Friday is Go Orange Day. Bright orange Kids Food Basket shirts will be available for sale, and students are encouraged to wear them on Friday for the orange out! Eastern will also be competing against Northern to see who can sell the most t-shirts and raise the most money. Other fun competitions include a cracker competition, basketball tournament, and more!
Be sure to be on the lookout for announcements regarding Kids Food Basket and Go Orange week. Try to participate in any way you can Hawks! If you’d like to learn more about Kids Food Basket and what their mission is, check out the link below to their website!
Kids Food Basket Website: https://kidsfoodbasket.org/why-we-exist/
