"ABC World News" evening anchor David Muir, who was on the ground in Somalia, said in a statement, "While seeing first-hand how famine is stealing children from their parents in Africa, there is also a portrait of hunger hidden right here in America. We must sound the alarm for the children in our own neighborhoods and towns who frequently go to bed having survived one more day of hunger."

The Greater Boston Food Bank and Feeding America released their latest study on how many children in our State, yes, Massachusetts were hungry.  

--STATE WIDE, the child food insecurity rate is 18.1 percent for the full population. This represents 262,000 children (under the age of 18 years old).

--FORTY SEVEN PERCENT are from families whose incomes exceed 185 percent of the federal poverty level, meaning that they do not qualify for government nutrition assistance such as food stamps, free or reduced price school lunch or WIC (Women/Infants/Children) benefits.

--THREE OF THE FIVE counties with the highest child food insecurity rates in the state are in Bristol County, Essex County and Suffolk County. (One in four children in these counties are hungry) (In all the others it is one in nine)

The goal of the Greater Boston Food Bank is to make sure these children get ONE MEAL a day. Since when did we think it was okay for anyone in the USA to only eat once a day?

Gathering Change, Inc., is committed, passionate and determined to help our neighbors feed themselves and their children.  Please join us in sounding the alarm for everyone to hear by speaking up on behalf of those that cannot. Begin to save your spare change so  the food pantry shelves remain stocked and our children and neighbors do not just survive but thrive!