Neighborhoods “Rally” to Fight Child Hunger

Every day, families ask themselves the same question: “What’s for dinner?” Unfortunately, for too many families, the answer isn’t as simple as “chicken” or “spaghetti” – sometimes, there is no answer.

Almost 17 million children in the United States don’t get enough food to live active, healthful lives – that’s nearly one in four kids. And it’s an issue in communities large and small.

To help address this critical issue, ConAgra Foods is launching a nationwide Child Hunger Ends Here Neighborhood Rally campaign to benefit Feeding America, the nation’s leading hunger-relief organization.

“ConAgra Foods is a longtime, committed partner of Feeding America, and we are incredibly grateful for its ongoing dedication to fighting domestic childhood hunger,” said Vicki Escarra, President and CEO of Feeding America. “With nearly one in four children across the nation struggling with hunger, we are in crisis right now. No American should go hungry, and we thank ConAgra Foods for joining us in that belief and for raising awareness and support for Feeding America in neighborhoods across the country this spring.”

Through this effort, communities can help kids at risk of hunger by rallying to raise money, collect food and buy brands that offer a donation to Feeding America. They can turn a bake sale, church rummage sale, food drive, yard sale or other existing community event into a Child Hunger Ends Here Neighborhood Rally by donating some or all event proceeds to Feeding America. Money collected through a direct online donation to Feeding America and food donated locally will stay in those communities.

Actress Dana Delany, one of the stars of ABC’s hit series “Desperate Housewives,” is serving as the spokesperson for the Child Hunger Ends Here Neighborhood Rally campaign to help raise child hunger awareness and encourage people to get involved.

“One of the things I love most about ‘Desperate Housewives’ is that no matter what happens on Wisteria Lane, all of the neighbors rally together when the need is critical,” said Delany. “And with nearly one in four children facing hunger in our communities, it’s critical that we rally together to help end child hunger, here and now.”

Closer to home, Cincinnati mom and blogger Andrea Deckard is the local spokes-blogger for the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign. She is encouraging fellow community members to join the fight through her blog, Mommy Snacks, and through several events she has hosted to raise awareness, funds and food donations for Feeding America.

In addition to Neighborhood Rallies, there are other ways to get involved:

• Go grocery shopping. From now through May 31, for every purchase of participating ConAgra Foods brands, the company will donate one meal to Feeding America – up to 2.5 million meals this year.* Participating brands are Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Healthy Choice, Manwich, Marie Callender’s, Orville Redenbacher’s and Peter Pan peanut butter.

• Visit the online celebrity auction. Dana Delany and her celebrity friends donated items for the Child Hunger Ends Here online celebrity rummage sale at www.childhungerendshere.com. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to Feeding America.
“We believe the tremendous power of communities coming together can help end child hunger,” said Gary Rodkin, CEO of ConAgra Foods. “No child in the United States should face the risk of attending school, going out to play or going to bed without a nutritious meal. To make sure all children have access to the food they need to lead healthy, active lives, we hope people nationwide come together and host or participate in a Child Hunger Ends Here Neighborhood Rally.”

The program’s Web site – www.childhungerendshere.com – provides information about child hunger and ways to get involved. People who register their rally on the Web site will receive a toolkit with posters, a banner and ConAgra Foods coupons, while supplies last.

“It’s difficult to believe that nearly 17 million kids in this country don’t get enough food to live active lives,” said Delany. “It’s an issue that can’t be solved individually, but by rallying our friends and neighbors and taking a stand that child hunger ends here, we can make a difference.”

* Monetary equivalent of up to 2.5 million meals provided to Feeding America through its network of food banks for purchases made through 5/31/10. Every dollar donated enables seven meals to be provided to Americans in need.

About ConAgra Foods, Inc.
ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG) is one of North America’s leading food companies, with brands in 96 percent of America’s households. Consumers find Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt’s, Marie Callender’s, Orville Redenbacher’s, PAM, Peter Pan, Reddi-wip and many ConAgra Foods brands in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise and club stores. ConAgra Foods also has a strong business-to-business presence, supplying frozen potato and sweet potato products as well as other vegetable, spice and grain products to a variety of well-known restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial customers. For more information, please visit us at www.conagrafoods.com.

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 63,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.