New Report Focuses On Economic Toll Of Child Hunger

Findings Highlight Long Term Physical And Cognitive Consequences

Chicago, Illinois
July 1, 2009

The direct and indirect effect of child hunger in the U.S. is a contributing factor to the nation’s economic woes and puts America at a competitive disadvantage, according to a new report issued today by Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization.

Child Food Insecurity: The Economic Impact On Our Nation, a report on research on the impact of food insecurity and hunger on child health, growth and development, details the economic effect of child hunger in the United States. It articulates the lifelong consequences child food insecurity has on individuals and families. (Food insecurity is defined as the lack of access at times to enough food for an active, healthy life; or limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods.)

The report states that the U.S. economy is losing its competitive edge to countries doing a better job of addressing nutrition and food insecurity in preparing children to learn and achieve their full potential. The report was funded with a grant from the ConAgra Foods Foundation.

“Child hunger is robbing us of the best of America’s imagination and ingenuity,” saidthe report’s author, John Cook, Ph.D., of the Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, a nationally-recognized expert on child hunger. “Sustainable economic recovery depends on freeing children of the burden of hunger and malnutrition and supporting their optimal growth and development.”

“The impact of child hunger is more far reaching than one might anticipate. Child food insecurity creates billions of dollars in costs to our society. Child hunger affects a child’s health, education and job readiness,” said Cook. “Our best universities are graduating more students from other countries and fewer from the U.S. because we are failing to prepare our children to learn and develop their best skills, creativity and abilities.”

According to the USDA, 12.4 million American children–one in six–are food insecure. One in five children under the age of five live at risk of hunger in 13 states.

“This is the first report to show the direct, tax-payer burden inflicted by child hunger – along with a clear link to long-term impacts, such as life-time earnings and the ripple effects through our economy,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. “It calls into question whether ongoing economic recovery can be sustained if child hunger is not eliminated; we can only achieve a prosperous future for all Americans if we ensure, right now, that all children have access to enough nutritious food for active, healthy lives.”

“It is also important to note in this context, however, that the Federal Government plays a very significant role in providing food to children at risk of hunger. The recent stimulus bills and increases in funding for USDA nutrition programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program), and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) have made great strides in ensuring that more low-income children and their families have increased access to food. The Federal Government is the largest provider of food to at-risk children,” Escarra said.

Child Food Insecurity: The Economic Impact On Our Nation explains how a hungry child becomes a diminished adult, and a burden to society. Some of the report’s summary findings include:

·         Child hunger first causes health problems:

Hungry children are sick more often, more likely to be hospitalized, and to suffer physical, emotional and developmental impairment.

·         Child hunger then creates educational problems:

Under-nutrition before the age of three fundamentally changes the neurological architecture of the brain and central nervous system, harming a child’s ability to learn. Hungry children have lower academic achievement.

·         Child hunger leads to workforce and job readiness problems:

Adults who experienced hunger as children are not well prepared mentally, emotionally, physically or socially to perform in contemporary work environments. Child hunger leads to greater absenteeism and turnover in the work place.

“The report’s sobering statistics serve as a wake-up call to the price we pay when even one child goes hungry in the United States,” said Chris Kircher, president, ConAgra Foods Foundation.   “Through our partnership with Feeding America on this research, we’re building on ConAgra’s long-standing commitment to raise awareness of the issue of child hunger and keep it at the forefront of the national agenda to inspire action.”

The ConAgra Foods Foundation also partnered with Feeding America to recently publish the first-ever, state-by-state analysis of child food insecurity and hunger. ConAgra Foods’ 15-year partnership with Feeding America is the largest corporate initiative solely dedicated to fighting child hunger. The company has donated more than $27 million and more than 200 million pounds of food to Feeding America since 1993.

“Knowledge is as powerful as food in the fight against child hunger,” added Escarra.  “The ConAgra Foods Foundation deserves credit for understanding this.  Their leadership in this area is an example of how the private sector can mobilize resources to heighten public awareness and perception of the interrelated issues, root causes and effects of child hunger. Their efforts make us all stronger advocates, and are critical to helping us all find sustainable solutions to this problem.”

Dr. Cook concludes, “There has not been adequate attention paid to the role child food insecurity plays in impeding economic growth. This report clearly makes the case that children are a fundamental engine of growth in the economy, and all children in the U.S. must be adequately nourished. If we fail, not only does the child suffer, but our society does as well.”

The report is available at www.feedingamerica.org/recovery

North Texas Food Bank feels the heat of summer

by Robert Miller Dallas Morning News
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, June 14, 2009

The nonprofit North Texas Food Bank is rated one of the top 10 food banks in the nation, but that offers little comfort in the face of an almost insurmountable challenge to meet the summer needs of the hungry during a recession.

As food bank president and CEO Jan Pruitt pointed out: “Not everyone here in North Texas is looking forward to summer. In fact, summer can be the hungriest time of the year for thousands of North Texas children and their families.

“According to a new report released by our national office, Feeding America, Texas still has the highest rate of children who are ‘food insecure’ at 22 percent. That means 1.4 million kids in Texas live in fear of hunger or don’t have consistent access to food.

“And once schools close for the summer, kids who depend on their schools’ free and reduced-price meal programs are often left wondering where their next meal will come from.”

Children’s programs

The North Texas Food Bank is especially focused on its three children’s programs, Kid Café, Food 4 Kids and Summer Lunch Box.

“We are nearly quadrupling the number of kids we are serving this year,” Pruitt said. “In 2008, we served 1,200, and this year we plan to serve 4,750.”

As for serving the public, Pruitt said, “Last summer, we launched our Close the Gap three-year strategic plan with goals of doubling our distribution by 2011 from 29 million meals annually to 50 million meals for those people living at or below the federal poverty level.

“Then the economic downturn hit, and our pantries and feeding programs started getting inundated with people who never had to ask for help before. This trend has continued to grow, and now we find ourselves struggling to keep up with the demand.”

Pruitt said that this month alone, the food bank needs to raise $400,000 in cash for staples such as milk, beans and canned goods for member agencies.

Key initiatives

The North Texas Food Bank expects to close the funding gap through two key initiatives – increasing distribution and expanding the Food Stamp Outreach program. Agency infrastructure will be strengthened, underserved areas will receive additional support and more nutritious products will be available.

The food bank supports children, families and seniors through education, advocacy and strategic partnerships in serving 260 member agencies in 13 North Texas counties. It provides food to 917 feeding and education programs.

Every dollar it receives provides the equivalent of four meals, and 97 cents out of every dollar donated goes directly to hunger relief.

Many casual observers are aware only of the Food Bank’s main program, which gathers donations of perishable and nonperishable food as well as nonfood items such as diapers, toothpaste, detergents and cleaning supplies that cannot be purchased with food stamps. In fact, the agency does much more.

Its Rural Produce Initiative distributes fresh produce to agencies outside Dallas County. In fiscal year 2008, the program delivered more than 3.7 million pounds of produce to seven rural North Texas counties.

And 7,500 eligible participants receive an estimated 32 pounds of surplus USDA commodities each month at 98 PAN distribution sites in Dallas County. PAN is a partnership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Health & Human Services Commission, Catholic Charities of Dallas Inc. and the North Texas Food Bank.

The program’s success depends upon partners, which include the First United Methodist Church of Dallas, the Texas Second Chance Program of the Dawson State Prison, the Texas Restaurant Association and the Culinary Arts program of El Centro College.

In addition, American Express, the Meadows Foundation and Philip Morris have made significant financial contributions to the Community Kitchen program.

Hunger Link

The Dallas Hunger Link, in operation since 1986, collects surplus prepared perishable food from more than 73 donor hotels, restaurants, cafeterias and other food service businesses.

The food is frozen, and specially trained Hunger Link drivers pick it up in refrigerated trucks and distribute it to on-site meal programs throughout Dallas.

The food bank’s Mobile Pantry program provides emergency food boxes that include enough food for one person for 4 ½ days. The food bank delivers food boxes to more than 160 families and 270 individuals each month.

The North Texas Food Bank also helps people apply for food stamps and is one of the few food banks in the United States that offers nutrition classes.

In December 1997, the North Texas Food Bank formed a partnership with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice called Texas Second Chance. It allows selected prison inmates to volunteer at the Food Bank up to four days a week. On average, 20 inmates work at the Food Bank during each visit.

The fundraising goal for the year ending June 30 was $13.7 million.

Your contributions in food, nonfood items and cash will be appreciated. Call 214-347-9593 or visit www.ntfb.org.

North Texas Food Bank Provides “Food 4 Kids” While School Is Out With Variety Of New Summer Meal Programs

Organization Announces Urgent Fundraising Goal to Meet Rising Demand During Recession

DALLAS (June 9, 2009) — Summer is here, but not every child has been looking forward to this time of year. Once school is out, many kids who depend on free or reduced-price meal programs may be left wondering what they will eat. The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is working to meet this important need with the launch of new summer children’s programs that will provide thousands of nutritious meals during the next three months. The organization is also calling for donations to help keep up with the rising demand from food pantries and other agencies during the recession, forcing it to cut back on new food purchases.

The NTFB has developed the new and ramped-up children’s meal programs in response to increasing community need and to help families during these tough economic times. Among the new programs announced today at an event at Voice of Hope Ministries, one of the 900+ programs that receives food through the NTFB:

Summer Lunch Box – A new pilot program reaching kids through various neighborhood locales (cold lunches delivered 5 days a week to distribution sites in underserved areas)

Food 4 Kids – First time summer extension of popular school-year backpack snack program consisting of daily (weekend snacks distributed through summer school)

Kids Cafe – Significantly expanded hot meal distribution through summer community programs such as YMCAs and organizations such as Voice of Hope Ministries The necessity of the new programs is all to real here in North Texas. New government data ranks Texas as the highest state for childhood food insecurity, with one in five Texas children struggling with hunger, even before the recession began. Meanwhile, NTFB food distribution to Member Agencies is already up 14 percent for the year.

While the children’s meal programs were made possible by a generous donation, the NTFB is still struggling to meet the day-to-day needs of its Member Agencies during the recession. The organization is working to raise a minimum of $400,000 in June to keep up with current demand.

“There is an urgent need for funds and food right now. As we enter the summer after months of increased demand, we’re now cutting back on purchasing staple items such as beans and other protein sources, as well as canned vegetables and fruit. We may have to cut milk purchases by late summer”, says Jan Pruitt, NTFB president and CEO. “Hunger does not take a summer vacation, so we are grateful to be able to help provide more kids with nutritious meals through our expanded children’s programs. But we ask supporters to continue to give generously so that we can help keep food on plates for North Texas families, seniors and children.”

Edward Franklin, president and CEO of Voice of Hope Ministries, which feeds 275 hot meals to children through Kids Cafe each day, says, “Many families are struggling during these tough times and we are blessed to be able to partner with the North Texas Food Bank to make sure that our students receive nutritious meals this summer. No child deserves to go to bed hungry.”

Also taking part at today’s program launch event, Preston Pearson, former Dallas Cowboys star and longtime NTFB supporter echoed the importance of giving back to the community.

“At tough times like this, it is vital for people to come together and help where they can,” says Pearson. “We hope North Texans will give of time and money to provide families in need an extra hand this summer and year-round.”

As part of its summer fundraising efforts, the NTFB has launched an aggressive campaign to help raise both awareness and much-needed dollars. Even a small donation makes a difference, as a dollar will provide four meals for the hungry. The campaign features billboard, radio and online PSAs with the touching stories of today’s hungry.

“While we typically receive 47 percent of our annual donations during the winter holiday season, the recession has made the need for year-round giving all the more urgent. We hope the summer campaign will bring the issue of hunger and our important mission to the forefront for the community,” says Pruitt.

Supporters can learn more about the new children’s meal programs, the summer awareness campaign, or make donations of funds or bulk food by visiting ntfb.org.

About North Texas Food Bank The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a nonprofit hunger relief organization that distributes donated, purchased and prepared foods through a network of feeding programs in 13 North Texas counties. The NTFB supports the nutritional needs of children, families and seniors through education, advocacy and strategic partnerships. Close the Gap is the NTFB’s 3-year initiative to unite the community to narrow the food gap by providing access to 50 million meals annually. Founded in 1982, the NTFB is a certified member of Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest – The Nation’s Food Bank Network). Last year 26 million meals were distributed. Each month agency pantries distribute food to more than 50,000 families and on-site meal programs serve 435,000 meals/snacks. Every dollar donated to the NTFB provides four meals for the hungry. Out of every dollar donated, 97 cents goes directly to hunger relief programs. To learn more about NTFB, visit ntfb.org.

# # #

Media Contacts:
Tresa Hardt or Colleen Petersen
Lovell Public Relations
214-395-1918 (cell) or 972-788-4511 (ofc)

Amanda O’Neal
North Texas Food Bank
214-347-9593

Real Food Can Be Cheaper Than Junk Food

May 29, 2009, 11:39 am
Bitten
By Mark Bittman
New York Times

CookforGood.com has a compelling set of instructions for how to shop and cook inexpensively enough to live on food stamps. Well thought out and presented. This is a long and ongoing discussion — worthy of a cookbook, really — but here is a nice start.

The person who brought this challenge to my attention is Jill Richardson, who runs lavidalocavore.org (fast becoming my favorite) and who argues that people on food stamps may be not only short on cash but without easy transportation to adequate grocery stores.

Ms. Richardson also maintains that food stamp recipients may not have the cooking equipment and/or skill needed to get the cooking done. She proceeds to quote the often brilliant Adam Drewnowski, thusly:

“When you suggest that people buy rice, pasta, and beans, you presuppose that they have resources for capital investment for future meals, a kitchen, pots, pans, utensils, gas, electricity, a refrigerator, a home with rent paid, the time to cook. Those healthy rice and beans can take hours; another class bias is that poor people’s time is worthless.”

Part of this is true: If you don’t have a kitchen it is really hard to cook (though, modesty aside, I once lived for six months with nothing more than a hot plate and a microwave and wrote most of my columns without borrowing friends’ kitchens).

One can argue that we do need to address all these issues: transportation, housing, the urban food deserts, poverty. But meanwhile, many people could probably benefit from the idea that cooking cheaply can be done, and in much healthier fashion than buying chili dogs and donuts at the local convenience store. Assuming a kitchen, a stove, running water, etc., cooking is not that time-consuming — it can be done while performing other household chores, or for that matter by using a slow cooker, which takes almost no time at all, since it’s almost entirely unattended.

No. it’s not automatic. It’s not a true no-brainer. But it’s been done by the most varied assortment of the world’s citizens imaginable, since humans stood upright.

You don’t need a capital investment for rice and beans, any more than you do for cheeseburgers and fries. You don’t need more than ten dollars worth of cooking equipment to get started, either. And while it’s true that the ten dollars is hard to come by for some people, the point is this: You can cook less expensively than you can buy fast food, junk food, processed, packaged, and prepared food – and you can get enough sound calories to live better.

One more myth I’d like to tackle here. The idea that death and destruction lie in the “middle aisles” of supermarkets, and the “real” food is found in the periphery is outdated. In those middle aisles one can find rice, beans, sometime-decent canned foods, sometime-decent frozen vegetables, whole grains and whole grain cereals, and other real food.

Read and comment on the article here: http://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/real-food-can-be-cheaper-than-junk-food/

North Texas Food Bank Distribution Rises, Revealing New Story Of Hunger

Hunger is not a new issue, but it now has a new story. As the unemployment rate continues to climb, thousands of North Texans who never dreamed they would need help from a food bank are now having a hard time putting food on the table for the first time, in the wake of layoffs, lost savings and other financial hardships during the recession. The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is launching its first-ever summer awareness and fundraising campaign to help bolster public support and meet the growing community need.

Overall, the NTFB has distributed 3 million more meals this year compared to last year. Additionally, in the last six months member food pantries and other agencies to which the NTFB supplies food have seen a significant 35 percent jump in the number of new clients reaching out for help for the first time – - a possible indicator of how the economic downturn is impacting the middle income and working poor.

Starting this month, the organization is launching an aggressive campaign to help raise awareness and much needed funds. A first-of-its-kind summer fundraising focus for the NTFB, the campaign features billboard, radio and online PSAs with the touching new stories of today’s hunger, such as:

Twins at 24. Single mom at 27. Hungry Today.
Promoted at 29. Laid off at 34. Hungry Today.
Empty Nest at 57. Empty Pantry at 84. Hungry Today.

See the billboards here.

The PSAs also point out the hard-hitting and often surprising facts of the North Texas hungry. For example, 40 percent of households served by the NTFB have at least one employed adult.

“These new stories of hunger may be outside the stereotype, but they are all too real. We are urging the community to help out now more than ever, as the recession hits home for our neighbors – - the workers who once had steady jobs and find themselves suddenly out of work, or the single mothers who are scrambling to earn enough to put food on the table for their children,” explains NTFB President and CEO Jan Pruitt. “Whether a one-time donation or starting a virtual food drive through our Web site, everyone can help make a difference. Even just $1 feeds four hungry North Texans.”

Pruitt applauds both individual donations and corporate support for helping the NTFB to purchase and supply more food to the growing number of children, families and seniors who need food assistance, but points out that the usual lull in summer giving could impact services going forward.

“Hunger does not take a summer vacation,” explains Pruitt, “While we typically receive 47 percent of annual donations during the winter holiday season, the recession has made the need for year-round giving all the more urgent. We hope the summer campaign will bring the issue of hunger and our important mission to the forefront for the community.”

The summer campaign, developed by Dallas-based branding and creative agency RSW Creative, is part of NTFB’s new three-year Close the Gap initiative to unite the community in narrowing the food gap. Campaign billboards will run in high-profile locations such as the North Dallas Tollway at LBJ Freeway and Trinity Mills. PSAs will also run online and on local radio stations. Supporters can learn more about the campaign, make tax-deductible donations or find out about volunteer opportunities by visiting ntfb.org.

About North Texas Food Bank: The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a nonprofit hunger relief organization that distributes donated, purchased and prepared foods through a network of feeding programs in 13 North Texas counties. The NTFB supports the nutritional needs of children, families and seniors through education, advocacy and strategic partnerships. Close the Gap is the NTFB’s 3-year initiative to unite the community to narrow the food gap by providing access to 50 million meals annually. Founded in 1982, the NTFB is a certified member of Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest – The Nation’s Food Bank Network). Last year 26 million meals were distributed. Each month agency pantries distribute food to more than 50,000 families and on-site meal programs serve 435,000 meals/snacks. Every dollar donated to the NTFB provides four meals for the hungry. Out of every dollar donated, 97 cents goes directly to hunger relief programs. To learn more about NTFB, visit ntfb.org.

Tyson Foods joins campaign to donate 15 tons of food to North Texas Food Bank

Dallas-based Telligent Joins National Online Campaign to Deliver a Truckload of Food for Local Families in Need

DALLAS May 12, 2009 – Even if you knew about the growing problem of childhood hunger in America, what could one person do to make a significant difference? Fortunately for North Texas area children, Telligent, MediaSauce, and almost 450 Texans took action to deliver a truckload of food for local children and their families.

Leading the corporate charge in Texas, Telligent promoted the campaign throughout the state and beyond with the help of their employees, clients, and strategic partners. Lawrence Liu, director of platform strategy, and George Dearing, corporate evangelist, spearhead the company’s efforts to promote the campaign through their blogs and Twitter accounts.

“I strongly believe in this cause, since I have three kids and just can’t imagine them going hungry,” said Liu,  “This campaign made it easy for us to rally our communities and for each of us to take meaningful action. It was encouraging to see that so many other people took part.”

One in six U.S. children worry about when their next meal will take place.  As the recession deepens and unemployment rises, more American families face hunger for the first time. A record 30 million Americans depend on food stamps, and food banks face unprecedented demands these days. The staggering statistics inspired Indianapolis-based MediaSauce to launch the Pledge to End Hunger this past March at the SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas.

Because of the support of 448 Texans, Tyson Foods (NYSE:TSN) delivered 15 tons of protein to the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) today as part of their commitment in the Pledge to End Hunger. Representatives from MediaSauce, Telligent, Tyson, and NTFB attended the ceremony.

“We are grateful for Tyson’s passion to help end hunger. This donation of protein could not have come at a better time as we recently learned that once again Texas leads the nation with the highest rate of food insecure children. Thanks to Tyson we will be able to provide nutritious meals to thousands of families.” Jan Pruitt, North Texas Food Bank President and CEO.

The Pledge to End Hunger is a national, collaborative online initiative leveraging the power of social media to help in the fight against hunger. Visitors to the website www.pledgetoendhunger.com sign a pledge to end hunger by committing to give, volunteer or share a message with others. Pledge to End Hunger uses powerful social media tools to create awareness, generate conversation and motivate people to participate through popular social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. MediaSauce teamed up with sponsors, Kimball Office, Kompolt, and Share Our Strength to engage their social networks for support.

“Our initial goal for getting people to pledge was reached during the first day.” said Scott Henderson, Cause Marketing Director at MediaSauce. “And thanks to the support of more than 4,750 pledges and the generosity of Tyson Foods, much needed protein will feed hungry children in Austin, St. Louis, Dallas, and Indianapolis.”

So far, the campaign has assembled almost 5,000 individuals who vowed to make a difference for the more than 12 million children going hungry. Additionally, more than 2,600 people have joined the group’s Facebook cause and more than $28,000 in individual and matching donations from over 700 people has been raised to help Share Our Strength.

A friendly competition was held online between state communities to see who could collect the most pledges. The top three states earned a truckload of protein from Tyson Foods benefitting selected food banks. Texas had the third largest amount of people of any state to sign pledge, surpassed only by Indiana and Missouri.

“To watch so many people actively engaged in the Pledge to End Hunger showed us the power of online social media,” said Ed Nicholson, Director of Community Relations for Tyson Foods. “In just a few days enough people pledged to raise more than 140,000 lbs of Tyson Foods products, which is equivalent to more than 560,000 meals with protein. We’re honored to be a part of this innovative approach to ending hunger.”

“We’re very happy that Lawrence, George, the rest of the Telligent team, and everyone else took advantage of the platform to unite passionate people to help solve a complex problem,” said Henderson.  “When it’s easy to share your message and support your cause, it’s amazing how willing corporations and individuals are to make a difference. Now, children in need living in the counties of North Texas can have some more healthy meals.”

The Plaza at Preston Center Raises $3,278 for North Texas Food Bank

The Plaza at Preston Center recently hosted its annual Plaza Days on April 24th and 25th, enabling shoppers to take advantage of family friendly activities and deep discounts from Plaza retailers.  During Plaza Days the center also sold raffle tickets for the chance to drive a brand new Volkswagen EOS Convertible for two weeks, courtesy of Metro Volkswagen.  All proceeds from raffle ticket sales benefited the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB), a nonprofit organization that passionately pursues a hunger-free community through distributing food to feeding and education programs in North Texas.

Several retailers in the center including Kid Biz/The Biz, New Balance DFW and The Cultured Cup, also worked to raise money for NTFB by donating a portion of their sales from the weekend to the organization.  The Plaza at Preston Center matched the amount of money raised for NTFB from raffle sales and donations from stores, bringing the grand total to $3,278 raised for a great cause, providing over 13,000 meals for those in need in North Texas!

In a later presentation North Dallas resident, Jackie Stroh, was given the keys to her new convertible for two weeks and a check was presented to Amy Pritts, new business and partnership development coordinator for the NTFB.

Contact ntfb.org today to learn how to make your event a success.

Taste of the Nation – Dallas Texas

Date: Sunday, May 17, 2009

Location:
Fashion Industry Gallery
1807 Ross Avenue
Dallas, TX 75201

Buy your ticket to the hottest food and wine event of 2009 and help fight childhood hunger.

Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation® is the nation’s premier culinary benefit, featuring top chefs and mixologists — all of whom are coming together to donate their time, talent and passion to end childhood hunger in America.

20 of the cities finest chefs will unite for a gastronomic, intimate seated event to end childhood hunger. The event is limited to 200 guests. Each table of ten will be assigned one chef for the evening to include four courses with wine pairings. The event also includes a premium cocktail reception and luxury gift bag for each guest in your party. This special evening will be rounded out with fabulous entertainment and an exceptional silent and live auction featuring one-of-a-kind trips, wine, culinary experiences and more.

Table Sponsorships are available for $5000 and $10,000, and individual tickets are now available.

Call Terri Provencal at 214.642.1124 for other exciting details about your sponsorship or tickets.

2009 Featured Restaurants:
Abacus ~ Bijoux ~ Cibus ~ Craft ~ Fearing’s ~ John Tesar of Fishtail by David Burke (NYC) Landmark Restaurant ~ Local ~ Nobu ~ Nonna ~ RJ Cooper of Vidalia (DC) ~ Salum ~ Sangria Tapas y Bar ~ Shinsei ~ Stephan Pyles  ~ The French Room ~ York Street

Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation® is the nation’s premier culinary benefit dedicated to making sure no kid in America grows up hungry. Each spring, the nation’s hottest chefs and mixologists donate their time, talent and passion at more than 45 events across the United States and Canada, with one goal in mind: to raise the critical funds needed to end childhood hunger. Since 1988, Taste of the Nation has raised more than $70 million.

www.ntfb.org

“Hungry Snout” Pet Food Donation Program on May 1st, 2009

In conjunction with the North Texas Food Bank, The Velvet Snout Canine Adventure Center, LLC in Richardson, TX. Kicks off its “Hungry Snout” Pet Food Donation Program on May 1st, 2009. The program is designed to help provide pet food donations to families that are suffering through tough economic times, and to stop more family pets from ending up in our local shelters.

Velvet Snout General Manager Diana Hall says “I think it’s important for us to remember that when we suffer hard economic times, our pets do too, and when people have to choose between feeding their families or their pets, often, many family pets end up at our already over-crowded shelters.” “The Hungry Snout Program just seemed like a logical alternative.” “In our business we hear far too many tragic stories where Mom or Dad have gotten laid off, and sadly are no longer able to afford to feed and care for their pets.” “ As a small business, we felt that we had to do something to help out where we could, so we decided a pet food donation program might offer a viable alternative for those pet owners who just need a little help.“

Starting May 1st, 2009, anyone who stops by The Velvet Snout and donates a new bag of pet food (unexpired and unopened) will be given a certificate for a free day of dog daycare as our way of saying thank you. The North Texas Food Bank has agreed to help get those donations to the people that need it. Velvet Snout Owner Laura Couch says “The Velvet Snout is going to run this program as long as there is a need for it.” “We really hope someday soon that there’s no longer a need, but for now, sadly, that’s just not the case.”
For additional information on how you can donate to the Hungry Snout Program please contact The Velvet Snout Canine Adventure Center at 972-907-3647, or visit our Website at http://www.thevelvetsnout.com.

Millenial Moms & Dads: What’s Next?

Generation Y. How much of our stress do we owe to the glory that is Generation Y, also known as Millennials? Being the complete opposite of Gen X, or the Baby Boomers, Gen Y is cuddled and coddled beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Born between 1975 and 1995, Millennials have grown up in a time of complete technological change. This generation relies on their parents more than anything seeing as Baby Boomers worked so hard to climb the impossibly steep ladder to give their children everything they never had. Did their hard work pay off?

Debatable.

Gen Y “kids” have been able to see their parents’ hard work, but they haven’t necessarily learned from it. They have a sense of entitlement at work and home that has allowed them a free pass to happiness; no fee required. Gen Y babies have gone to college, graduated, gotten jobs… and are still living at home. Why? Because they deserve to.

The parents of Gen Y have spent their entire lives trying to give their child the best, from “participation trophies” and pats on the back to iPhones and college tuition. They have spent the majority of their children’s lives sticking up for them in ways that may have permanently damaged the child’s view on life. Their child got a bad grade on a test? It must be the teacher’s fault for not instructing well. Their child got caught stealing? It must be their employers fault for not giving them enough shifts at work. No matter what the situation may be, Gen X stands strong for Gen Y.

This generation is technologically smarter than their parents, but that’s not where their smarts end. They know just how to take advantage or manipulate people into getting what they want. Take the office setting, for example. Millennials need constant encouragement and praise, and they aren’t afraid to ask for it. More and more companies are providing cell phones and lap tops, replacing suits with polos, and implementing regular employee reward systems into their company plans. Who do we have to thank for this? Generation Y.

But what does this mean for the parents? It means that their savings are crippled or nonexistent. In a new world of instant gratification thanks to the internet, parents simply can’t keep up with the demands of Gen Y. Millennials are graduating from college and moving back home to save money in a world they’ve never had to actually live in. And it’s the parents who are paying their way.

What does this mean for Baby Boomers? It means they will be the ones paying for their children’s mistakes. As more and more parents pay for more and more of their children’s expenses, their savings accounts are dwindling and goodbye goes the retirement fund. At a time when it is crucial to continue saving for simple items such as food, clothing, and shelter, many Generation X adults find themselves scrambling to make ends meet. This could soon result in many senior citizens turning to food pantries and shelters to help them with the rising costs after retirement.

Even so, Generation X still stands up for their beloved Millenials, no matter what price tag it entails. But poor Millenials just don’t know any better, so it must be Gen X’s fault that they act the way they do. Right Mom?

If you or someone you know in the Dallas area is retired and struggling to keep up with the rising costs of food and other necessities, please visit http://www.ntfb.org and contact them about receiving assistance. To locate any other food bank in the United States, please visit this link.

www.ntfb.org