"No Kid Hungry" Kicks Off

On Friday, government agencies, non-profits and businesses joined together to announce the "No Kid Hungry" campaign, aimed at ending child hunger in Arkansas.

Arkansas has the highest number of hungry children in the country, with one in four kids not knowing from where their next meal will come.

In addition to be unprepared to learn, hungry children aren't able to grow properly or stay healthy. But that can change, according to Bill Shore, the founder of Share Our Strength.

"Hunger is a solvable problem," said Shore. "We know what the answer is and the resources exist."

Share Our Strength, Shore's national organization, has a goal of ending childhood hunger in America by 2015. They plan to do this by enrolling children in under-utilized programs that already exist.

"It's not because of a lack of food because obviously America doesn't lack food and it's not a lack of food or nutrition programs," said Shore. "It's because children lack access to these programs."

After hearing that Arkansas has the highest number of hungry children in the country, Shore reached out to Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe and the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance to see if he could bring his organization to the state.

On Friday, Shore kicked off the "No Kid Hungry" campaign along with the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and governmental agencies. The main goal of "No Kid Hungry" will be to focus on promoting awareness of existing food programs.

"Part of it might be putting cards in the backpacks of kids before the end of the school year so their parents know summer feeding sites exist. Part of it is working with the governor's office to make sure every community has an alternative site where schools are closed," explained Shore.

The campaign will also provide funding to hire a coordinator to open alternative summer feeding sites where there currently are none. That person will be a welcome addition to the small, three person office of the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, said Sanders.

"It's going to open a lot of doors in making this happen and happen in a short amount of time where if it was an additional workload, frankly, it would make it hard," said Sanders.

While it may seem like an overwhelming challenge, those on the front lines of this fight say it can be won.

"In the next four or five years, we think we can drive up participation in school breakfasts, summer feedings and food stamp participation so that although there will still be poverty, still be lots of other problems, at least kids, who are the most vulnerable, the most voiceless will be protected," said Shore.