For several years I’ve been seeing
commercials for RED NOSE Day, but really, other than knowing I could go to
WalGreens and buy a red nose, I wasn’t really sure what it was all about. And
since I don’t pay too much attention to commercials, I never explored it any
further. Then I heard a little more about it, and realized that one of the
goals of this project is to make people aware of childhood hunger and what they
can do to help. Noses On!
Then I was invited to blog about
Red Nose Day, and because chronic hunger is such a problem, impacting children
in so many different ways, it was a no-brainer.
Kids go to school hungry, and don’t perform well. Before long they’re
below grade level, and suddenly their future is dim. Without the education, it’s
sometimes hard to get a job, and generational poverty rates spike.
When kids are hungry and there
doesn’t seem to be a solution, they become prey to so many of society’s ills.
Gangs look like a good alternative. Selling drugs means they have money to help
feed the family. Prostitution, with its own set of nightmares, allows them to
escape the harsh realities of chronic hunger and chronic poverty. Generational
poverty is, to my way of thinking, one of the biggest problems in our society
today.
Some schools in our area send food home
for weekend meals, but that’s just a bandaid, and there’s so much more that can
be done. The school districts offer lunch during the summer, but weekends aren’t
included, and there is often an overlap between school ending and lunches
starting. Then at the end of the summer, lunches end, but school hasn’t started
yet. This year, because we can, our
church is stepping up to fill the gap in our neighborhood. A couple of times a
week, during those gap periods, we’ll be handing out free lunches. It would be nice if all it took was money, but
someone needs to go shopping, someone needs to fill lunch bags. Who is going to
clean up after lunch? And beyond a full stomach, how are we going to gain their
trust and learn what other needs they have?
Although this didn’t start out to
be a Red Nose project, it’s easy to say that we proudly stand with this
project. Ending poverty, ending hunger and empowering children, worldwide and
here in this country, are goals that we should all get behind.
Since Red Nose Day started over a
billion dollars has been raised globally.
Since 2015, Red Nose Day has raised over $60 million in our own country.
Wear the nose. Join the fight. Be a part of the solution
Watch some of the video clips
showing what a difference we can make:
You can donate here
And remember that this Thursday,
May 25th is RED NOSE DAY 2017.
Check listing for the television coverage!
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