Ford Motor Company Fund and Northwest Harvest announced today a grant of $130,000 as part of the Ford Focus on Child Hunger campaign. The donation is one of six grants to food banks across the Pacific Northwest intended to address the growing issue of childhood hunger in this country.
Food-bank services are especially crucial this time of the year as the summer months approach and some families lose access to free and reduced-price meals at school.
“There is nothing more heart-wrenching than a child going hungry,” said Graham Tash, chairman of the Northwest Ford Stores group. “We are thankful that Ford Motor Company Fund is taking steps to address this growing problem, and the Northwest Ford Stores group is proud to support this effort.”
According to Northwest Harvest, the number of students eligible for subsidized school meals grew by almost 10,000 children during the 2012-13 school year. Currently, 46 percent of all schoolchildren in Washington (or 476,919 students) are eligible for free and reduced-price meals at school.
The partnership between Ford Motor Company Fund and Northwest Harvest will make it possible for some of the highest-need children to have supplemental nutrition on weekends and school breaks, when essential school meals aren’t available.
“Research shows that hungry kids have difficulty learning and get sick more frequently,” said Shelley Rotondo, Northwest Harvest executive director. “This grant from the Ford Motor Company Fund will help Northwest Harvest make sure thousands of children across Washington are getting the nutritious food they need to help them stay healthy, learn and succeed in school.”
Northwest Harvest provides more than 24,000 meals a month to kids in Washington.
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