How many children go to sleep hungry?

How many children go to sleep hungry? That's a hard question to ask yourself… but the answer is even more devastating – over 12 million and that is in the United States alone. There are an estimated 30 million Americans facing hunger each and every day and that number if growing rapidly due to the recession and the severe economic hardships we are facing. The economy is faltering, hardworking people have lost their jobs and more and more families are caught in the grip of the un-imaginable — no money to feed their families. Data released by the Department of Agriculture shows that one out of six children in the United States do not know where they will find their next meal. They are considered to live in a "food insecure household," which means they are unable to consistently access nutritious and adequate amounts of food, which ultimately puts them at risk for illness and weakens their immune system. These children are also shown to be 90 percent more likely to be in fair or poor health and have 30 percent higher rates of hospitalization. In an attempt to help the hungry of America, the United States Postal Service, along with the United Way, AFL-CIO, Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest) and Campbell's Soup Company are partnering for the 17th Annual National Association of Letter Carriers Food Drive. On Saturday, May 9, the largest annual one-day effort to combat hunger in the United States, will once again be conducted and now more than ever your help is greatly needed. Please participate by placing an item or two of non-perishable food by your mail box on Saturday, May 9 and your mail/rural carrier will pick it up. All of the food items collected will then be transported to the local Food Pantry, which is operated out of Trinity Lutheran Church. The postal food drive is on Mother's Day weekend and there could be no better way to honor those mother's who have fed and cared for us, than to help those who cannot feed their families by remembering to donate food items for the less fortunate in our local community. As summer is upon us and school will be out of session, many needy children will be without the food support received through the school lunch program. Please do your best to help those who need and deserve our help the most – our children – and generously support the Postal Food Drive on Saturday, May 9. Help us "Stamp Out Hunger."