The most rewarding part of building our family business has been figuring out what kind of positive impact we can make on this world with this business. We are passionate about the transformative power of art and its ability to bring balance to lives. We are also dedicated to creating a business that contributes to a vital cause. For our family, that means committing ourselves to the fight against child hunger.
The Reality of Child Hunger
Child hunger is one of the most basic things we should be able to figure out how to fix in this country. Yet our most vulnerable are struggling today to find their next meal. No Kid Hungry is a project run by Share our Strength, a nonprofit working to solve problems of hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. They highlight that summer is a very difficult time for many children. Families today are struggling to make ends meet, and many of the meals kids receive during the school year disappear during the summer.
Food Insecurity
Over 13 million children live in homes that do not have enough food for a every family member in the home to have enough to eat on a daily basis. This is one out of every five children in the United States! A child may not have enough to eat, or a mother may skip a meal to feed her child. Or the family may go through times where one week there is enough food and the next week there is not.
Hunger disproportionately affects children from low-income families. Poverty levels are measured using the federal poverty level, which was $29,960 for a family of four in 2023. Communities of color disproportionately carry a larger burden, with one in four Black and Hispanic children living under food insecurity.
Federal Nutrition Programs
Federal nutrition programs play a crucial role in supporting families and children. Programs like SNAP, WIC, and the national school lunch program provide essential daily meals. However, other programs, such as the school breakfast program, the national summer meals program, and the afterschool meals program, can make an enormous difference for hungry kids.
Lisa Davis, SVP of No Kid Hungry says, “"When our nation invests in nutrition programs like SNAP, school and summer meals, and programs that help get grocery and Child Tax Credit benefits into the hands of families with the lowest incomes and the highest needs, hunger and hardship recede. But these benefits do so much more than fill an empty stomach. When kids are nourished, they’re healthier, better able to learn and more likely to escape the cycle of poverty. And stronger, smarter kids means a stronger, smarter nation.”
How We Help
If you are reading this blog, we have already made progress on our goal to use our platform to raise awareness about child hunger. We are passionate about being advocates for those who need us most.
We have made a commitment to donate 10 meals to No Kid Hungry for every paint by number kit sold. When you purchase a kit, know that a portion of your purchase will be donated to No Kid Hungry and applied to their most pressing needs. As we continue to build our community of customers, we will be able to see the difference our community makes in the lives of children.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “I have the audacity to believe that people everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.”
I hope you will join us in supporting this essential cause. We look forward to partnering with you to make a meaningful difference. If you would like to donate directly to No Kid Hungry or learn more about ways that you can help, check out more here. No Kid Hungry, a campaign of Share our Strength, has a four-star rating on Charity Navigator, so we can be confident that our gifts are going directly to help the kids who need us the most.
Thank you for joining our community and supporting our mission to combat child hunger. You are not just buying art, you are joining a community that starts with creativity and transforms into a movement that truly changes the world. I do believe that together we can make a difference.