GOV. BEV PERDUE TO LAUNCH ‘NO KID HUNGRY NORTH CAROLINA’
Partnership with Share Our Strength will connect more children to school breakfast and summer meals programs
Durham, NC – Gov. Bev Perdue and Durham Mayor Bill Bell will join Share Our Strength® Founder and Executive Director Bill Shore to launch the No Kid Hungry® North Carolina partnership at Lakewood Elementary School in Durham on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at 10:30 a.m. ET. NC Serves, the lead nonprofit working with the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, will join public officials and education, government, community and business leaders at the launch. The public-private partnership will use proven strategies to increase the number of North Carolina children who eat meals through programs funded by the federal government, including the School Breakfast Program.
More than one in four children (603,250) in North Carolina are at risk of hunger. The state also ranks 11th highest nationwide (28.5 %) in households with children that face food hardship and ranks 11th highest in overall child food insecurity (27.3 %). In 2010, the state could have brought more than $27 million in additional federal funds to local communities through greater participation in school breakfast and summer meals programs. The School Breakfast Program offers low-income children access to regular, nutritious breakfast at school, but for various reasons, participation in this program is low. Of the more than 640,000 students in the state who get a free or reduced-price lunch at school, less than half (310,516) participate in school breakfast.
Gov. Perdue is leading the statewide No Kid Hungry partnership which is working to increase participation in these feeding programs and is launching a pilot program with 27 schools statewide using strategies that have proven to increase school breakfast participation. The North Carolina partnership is part of the national No Kid Hungry Campaign led by the national children’s anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength.
WHO:
North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue; Durham Mayor Bill Bell; Share Our Strength Founder and Executive Director Bill Shore; Durham Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric J. Becoats; Lakewood Elementary School Principal Cornelius Redfearn; Freedom Schoolers, singing group of 2nd and 3rd graders from Lakewood Elementary School.
WHAT:
Press conference to launch No Kid Hungry® North Carolina partnership.
WHEN:
Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. ET
WHERE:
Lakewood Elementary School Gymnasium, 2520 Vesson Avenue; Durham, NC 27707
OTHER:
Visuals: The Freedom Schoolers (2nd and 3rd graders from Lakewood Elementary School) will sing;
Photo-ops during press conference; Possible interviews with speakers after event; RSVP to Ariane Holm to attend press conference at aholm@strength.org or 202-649-4350; Mult box available; Street parking available.
Ariane Holm | aholm@strength.org | C: 571-213-6465 | O: 202-649-4350
Tamara Baker | tbaker@hatch-consulting.com | C: 919-951-9282 | O: 919-933-7650
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Jeff Nash
Interim Chief Communications Officer
P. 919.560.2602
C. 919.412.7947
jeff.nash@dpsnc.net
