Help Kick Hunger Challenge: Fighting Youth Food Insecurity
When young people have access to healthy snacks and meals, they are able to do better with school work, stay active and keep growing. But, 1 in 6 children in the U.S. experience food insecurity — the lack of regular access to safe and nutritious food.
To combat this, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, together with Parichute, The Coca-Cola Company and players of many Major League Soccer (MLS), National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and United Soccer League (USL) teams, launched the first-ever Help Kick Hunger Challenge to fight youth food insecurity in communities nationwide.
Investing in the Next Generation
Every day, Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation help keep kids fed, fueled and focused on their futures. As a former Club kid, U.S. Men’s soccer player, Mark McKenzie, values the time he spent everyday after school at his local Club in Delaware, which served as the perfect pitch for him to explore his passions, figure out his interests and play well with others.
The Club was a safe place where he had the opportunity to interact with kids his age and learn about teamwork, camaraderie and building connections on the field — what Mark calls “the fundamentals.” Ultimately, his experience at the Club helped him gain confidence as an athlete by showing him that he always has people in his corner. “The belief in myself is something that I really took away from there. The program leaders were always invested in the next generation.”
Now, Mark believes it is his responsibility to pay it forward.
“I’m passionate about helping the next generation, wanting to ultimately inspire them to be greater than I am — to achieve their goals. But, there are so many kids who are fighting just for the simple things. That was a big reason why I wanted to take action and get involved with the Help Kick Hunger campaign.”
Kindness Through a Meal
Growing up at the Boys & Girls Club, Mark became familiar with kids experiencing food insecurity and how many depended on their Club for their next meal. “As a kid, it might not have clicked at the time, but now as an adult, I realize some kids didn’t have food if it weren’t for the Club.”
Every day, the Boys & Girls Clubs serve more than 95 million meals and snacks at no cost to members. “The Help Kick Hunger campaign touches my heart because I had kids offer me snacks every now and then when I was hungry. As kids, it’s a pure form of kindness.”
Join the Help Kick Hunger Challenge with Mark
This giving season, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has teamed up with Parichute and 50 professional athletes, including Mark, to fight youth food insecurity through providing millions of meals to kids in Clubs across the nation.
The campaign calls on everyone to “help kick hunger” by sharing their own videos of soccer tricks on social media, tagging @BGCA_Clubs and @Parichute and including #HelpKickHunger in their post. Participants are also encouraged to visit the Parichute App to donate to give young people in Clubs the meals and resources they need to thrive.
From a $10 donation that feeds a kid a healthy snack for two weeks to a $110 donation that provides a kid with a hot evening meal for an entire month, and every dollar in between, the campaign ensures every child has access to quality meals to help them become the leaders, innovators and problem-solvers of tomorrow.
Additionally, now through December 31, The Coca-Cola Company will match your donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of America through the Help Kick Hunger campaign, up to $50,000, to double your impact on keeping kids fed, fueled, and focused in the year ahead.
Help Clubs Keep More Kids Fed, Fueled and Focused
Boys & Girls Clubs of America provide young people with meals, safe places, mentors and life-enhancing experiences so they can become anything they can dream. Your support helps fight the food insecurity many Club kids face each day so they can focus on their next great moment, not their next meal.
