Feed Our Children NOW!

Website

http://www.feedourchildrennow.org

Describe the creative youth microprojects that your nonprofit would fundraise for if you win.

The USDA’s “Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2011” shows that in 2011, 19.9 million children, or people under 18, received food stamp benefits. The Census estimates there were 73.9 million children living in the United States in 2011, meaning that 26.9 percent of children, or approximately one in four, were on food stamps in 2011.16.7 million children lived in food insecure households in 2011. Since 2007 Feed Our Children NOW! has been with The Vans Warped Tour. We've grown through the years and now travel with the tour collecting food and fundraising in 43 cities across and the U.S.A. and Canada. We donate thousands of pounds of food in each city to a charity focused on children and families with children in need. Last year we collected and distributed more than 200,000 cans of food. Each year we hear from the charities that the problems are growing. We will continue to do what we've been doing and we would like to expand to feed

Explain how possibly gaining funding through the Give for Youth platform would better able you to complete these projects.

We know what we’re doing is important. Summer time is critical for food insecurity for children because school is closed and the lunch program is not available. The need for food however continues all year long. Specifically, weekends remain a problem because children don’t have access to the school lunch programs. We would like to continue efforts all year long and additional funding will enable us to train more youth volunteers and expand our food drives.

Describe why your nonprofit is innovative and entrepreneurial.

We have a very unusual approach to not only addressing the problem but involving young people both actively in their onsite presence with us and also on assisting us in organizing, marketing. Our team is encouraged to express their ideas for us to be more effective, efficient and youth friendly. Todays young people are wonderfully philanthropic. We've intergraded their giving spirit and hard work into an entertaining, hands on educational venture. We accomplish our goals, teach professionalism, treat each other with respect and work hard while having fun. We're youth helping youth.

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