70 N Ridgewood Rd, South Orange, NJ
This year the South Orange & Maplewood middle schoolers will bring awareness while fighting hunger in their community using new age media, decreasing the carbon footprint of the traditional food drive, the burden of carrying goods to school and eliminating waste by ensuring that 100% of the goods are what our pantries need most.
Hunger is a growing problem across the country. Approximately 1 in 7 households are “food insecure”. Children need adequate nutrition for their physical and mental health, as well as their emotional development, and participation in community. Local food pantries have severe shortages and subsequently must turn people in need away. They need our help!
Sarah Chalk, SOMa mother moved to the district in 1997, came across You Give Goods and immediately saw the opportunity to not only provide support to those in need but to share a teachable moment. ”Our children are using FaceBook, Instagram and Twitter to communicate with friends. Using social media for social good is a new experience for many of our community’s youngest members,” said Chalk.
A recent post in the Maplewood Patch shared that Maplewood residents donate 4.2% of their annual income to charity and South Orange residents donate 4.5% with the state average being 3.7%, according to How America Gives. It will be interesting to watch how these young motivated children will compare as they bring their enthusiasm and passion to the pages of Facebook and other social media platforms popular with today’s youth.
As both the CEO of YouGiveGoods and the father of three middle schoolers, I’ve had the chance to see so many middle school age kids do incredible things – particularly using technology. It’s going to be terrific to see SOMS and MMS tackle hunger with the Food Fight,” said Pat O’Neill.
All donations collected will directly benefit MEND, an interfaith organization meeting the emergency needs of the disadvantaged of Essex County established in 1979. In 2011, according to MEND’s site, over 69,000 needy individuals in Essex County visited the anti-hunger network. The 18 pantries serve those struck by fire, theft, unemployment, illness and other crisis. While assistance is provided to individual and families, MEND reports the majority of their clients are young children representing upward of 40% of the total population served.
Visit the SOMa contest page at You Give Goods and support our local youth as they fight the war on hunger. If you Tweet, Instagram or use other social platforms, spread the word #SOMaFightsHunger.
The online food drive will run from October 8-October 25, 2012.
