“Acting together to achieve social and environmental justice for all”
The theme for the Day this year addresses the challenge of achieving social and environmental justice for all. The growing recognition of the multi-dimensionality of poverty means that these two issues are inseparably intertwined and that social justice cannot be fully realized without aggressively rectifying environmental injustices at the same time. Whereas progress has been made in addressing income poverty, there has been less success in addressing the other important dimensions of poverty, including the rapidly growing impact of the environment, within a more holistic approach.
People living in extreme poverty, often through sheer necessity, are the first to act decisively within their communities in response to poverty, climate change, and environmental challenges. However, their efforts and experience often go unnoticed and unappreciated; their ability to contribute positively to solutions has been overlooked; they are not recognized as drivers of change, and their voices are not heard, especially in international bodies.
This must change. The participation, knowledge, contributions, and experience of people living in poverty and those left behind must be valued, respected, and reflected in our efforts to build an equitable and sustainable world in which there is social and environmental justice for all. Governments must act decisively—in partnership and in solidarity with people living in poverty —to effectively address the impending global economic downturn that now threatens to erase part of the gains in reducing poverty and stall efforts to fight climate change and environmental degradation. The United Nations’ measures to ensure Member States can achieve the SGDs by 2030, including its proposed socio-economic responses to the global pandemic, must be robustly pro-poor and fully focused on establishing green pathways to recovery.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was adopted on 20 November 1989. This landmark human rights treaty sets out the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of every child, regardless of their race, religion, or abilities.
In particular, the Convention recognizes the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral, and social development. Poverty hurts children’s development and, in turn, leads to lower-income and health in adulthood. When child poverty is recognized as a denial of children’s human rights then people in positions of responsibility and power are legally bound to promote, protect, and fulfill children’s rights.
Join the #EndPoverty global campaign
Everyone can join the campaign on social media by using hashtag #EndPoverty and promoting the call to action to connect with people from around the world who have joined the fight to overcome poverty.
In addition to the commemorative event to be held in New York on 17 October, commemorations of the international day are being organized worldwide. The online community is asked to use #EndPoverty to share messages about the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty via social media.
September is Hunger Action Month™, when Feeding America and member food banks ask everyone in America to take action to fight hunger in their community, all month long. Hunger Action Month is your opportunity to join a movement that has a real and lasting impact on our effort to feed more Americans than ever before. Whether it’s by advocating and raising awareness, making donations, or volunteering, you can find the way that’s right for you to make a difference during Hunger Action Month. Together, we can solve hunger.
Feeding America is a nationwide network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs that provide food and services to people each year. Together, we are the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization. Our network serves virtually every community in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.
The process of getting food to hungry Americans requires a dynamic infrastructure and sophisticated management. Feeding America secures donations from national food and grocery manufacturers, retailers, shippers, packers and growers and from government agencies and other organizations. Feeding America then moves donated food and grocery product to member food banks.
The food banks, in turn, distribute food and grocery items through food pantries and meal programs that serve families, children, seniors, and others at risk of hunger. Last year alone, the Feeding America network distributed more than 3 billion meals to people in need.
Feeding America nationwide network of food banks also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses, and government all have a role in ending hunger.
Hunger can affect anyone. Feeding America has identified groups at risk, including young children, hunger in the suburbs, rural hunger, senior hunger, and the working poor.
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Special on Childhood Hunger Kate is a fictional character who represents the very situation in which many children find themselves when their parents lose their jobs. Find out how you can help this Hunger Action Monthhttp://hungeractionmonth.org/
Childhood hunger hinders a young person's ability to learn. They are more likely to suffer from poverty as an adult. Scientific evidence suggests that hungry children are less likely to become productive citizens. Insufficient nutrition puts children at risk for illness and weakens their immune system. The immature immune systems of young children, ages 0 – 5, make them especially vulnerable to nutritional deprivation and as a result, the ability to learn, grow, and fight infections are adversely affected.
National Volunteer Week is organized by Points of Light and is an opportunity to celebrate the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to come together to tackle tough challenges and build stronger, more resilient communities. Each year, they shine a light on the people and causes that inspire us to serve, recognizing and thanking volunteers who lend their time, talent and voice to make a difference in their communities.
Celebrate Service
National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 and has grown each year, with thousands of volunteer projects and special events scheduled throughout the week. Plan or attend an event to celebrate the impact of volunteers in your community, and inspire others to serve.
Five Presidents on the Power of Service
President George H. W. Bush speaks on the power of volunteerism and highlights the importance of helping others through service. "There can be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others" -President George H. W. Bush
Causes and Solutions
The passion of volunteers is ignited when people can help the causes they care about. Points of Light inspire, equips and mobilizes volunteers in support of these main causes:
Veterans and Military Families
Joining together with and for our veterans addresses critical needs and helps build stronger communities. Points of Light’s military programs connect service members, veterans and their families with their communities through service and support.
Take action:
Volunteer to support your local military community.
Learn how your community can support military members and veterans.
Donate to support the mobilization of thousands of volunteers.
Disaster Preparedness
A strong community is a resilient community, one that’s ready and able to work together if things go wrong. For a community to thrive and survive, residents, nonprofits, governments, and businesses must plan for how they will respond to and recover from disaster together.
Take action:
Get ready with these disaster preparedness resources.
Volunteer in a relief and recovery effort.
Learn how volunteers can help in a local response effort.
Economic Opportunity
Everyone and every family should have a chance at a better life. In an economically sustainable community, people help each other learn how to catch up and then get ahead. In these vibrant communities, people are able to achieve financial stability by becoming better managers of their money and of their futures.
Take action:
Learn how AmeriCorps VISTA members train volunteers as financial coaches.
Mentor youth to help them prepare for college and careers.
Contact us to volunteer as a financial coach in your community.
Youth and Education
When all members of the community become involved in the lives of youth, student attendance and the quality of education greatly improve. Youth have the power to make their mark on the world when they are empowered through service, and can access the education and resources that can help them give back to their communities.
Take action:
Learn how service prepares youth for college and careers.
Inspire youth to get excited about community service.
Find out how young adults boost the academic achievement of low-income students.
Civil and Human Rights
Social change doesn’t just happen – people and communities must work together to advocate for freedom and equality without bounds or limits. It is a transformation that takes understanding, acceptance, cooperation and volunteer service.
Take action:
Volunteer during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.
Host an America's Sunday Supper.
Donate to support the MLK Day of Service
Nonprofit Capacity
To do their world-changing work, nonprofits must deliver effective programs and also improve their ability to achieve their mission. Volunteers – and the skills, energy and time they give – offer one of the best ways for nonprofits to become greater at doing good.
Take action:
Get certified in using volunteers to increase capacity.
Access training, consulting and other tools.
Volunteer and help a nonprofit in your area do more.
Social Entrepreneurship
Innovative social change comes in many forms – and can come from the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Successful social entrepreneurs often include people as part of the solution to critical social problems. These entrepreneurs work to create greater, more accessible pathways to economic opportunity.
Take action:
Apply for support for your for-profit or nonprofit startup.
Volunteer Appreciation
Recognizing the exceptional work of volunteers keeps their good work going, and inspires others to serve. Celebrating the power of individuals to create change in their communities can also bring more attention and resources to a cause.
Take action:
Nominate a hero in your life for an award.
Visit the only national monument to honor volunteers.
Get inspired by volunteer stories.
Volunteer to Fight Against Hunger
AARP and AARP Foundation: These organizations work with state and community partners and volunteers to help older adults enroll in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commission research on the causes and consequences of senior hunger, and award grants to help develop or expand sustainable solutions for older-adult anti-hunger programs. Volunteer Opportunities: Community outreach, nutrition education, community events.
Feeding America serves 37 million people, including nearly 14 million children and 3 million seniors, through local agencies such as food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters and after-school programs. Feeding America food banks provide nutrition education programs. In addition, the organization’s network operates programs that promote self-sufficiency, educates the public about the problem of hunger and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Volunteer Opportunities: Food rescue, driving, loading, repacking, community outreach, food banks.
Meals On Wheels. Representing community-based senior nutrition programs across the country, the Meals On Wheels Association of America serves approximately 1 million meals a day to the nation’s seniors through two methods of food distribution: direct delivery to homebound seniors and adults with disabilities, and congregate meals served in group settings such as a community center or long-term care facility. Volunteer Opportunities: Meal preparation, packaging or delivery, clerical support, special events.
No Kid Hungry. Families at risk of hunger need access to food and the skills to make healthy meals with their resources, nutrition education is a key part of the No Kid Hungry campaign. Through its Cooking Matters program, nutrition educators and chefs equip low-income families with skills to stretch their food budgets, shop smarter, make healthier food choices and cook delicious, affordable meals. Volunteer Opportunities: Community event planning, nutrition education, fundraising, advocacy.
UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and has helped save more children’s lives than anyother humanitarian organization in the world. Nutrition is a key component to its work, whether through an emergency feeding program during a disaster or famine or an established community clinic offering nutrition education and support to young mothers. UNICEF is the world’s largest supplier of ready-to-use therapeutic food for malnourished children and helped increase the world’s supply of therapeutic food by more than 9,000 percent between 2008 and 2012. Volunteer Opportunities: Fundraising, advocacy, education.
The World Food Programme serves the world’s least food secure in regions where hunger kills more people every year than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Last year, the organization distributed 3.5 million metric tons of food to 97 million people in 80 countries. The World Food Programme works to prevent hunger through helping communities build assets, educate its people and develop stronger and more dynamic infrastructures - from establishing environmental sustainability and connecting farmers with markets to supporting breastfeeding initiatives and introducing school meal programs. The World Food Programme is funded entirely by voluntary donations. Volunteer Opportunities: Fundraising, advocacy, education.
A global youth service movement igniting the power of all kids to make their mark on the world. They are the youth division of Points of Light.
GenerationOn has brought the nation's leading youth service organizations and programs under one umbrella including Children for Children, The League, Learning to Give, and Kids Care Clubs, HandsOn Schools. By partnering with teachers, parents, schools, community organizations and businesses, generationOn gives kids the opportunity to see firsthand the issues in their communities and the tools and resources they need to respond and become part of the solution”.
What Will You Bring to the Table?
Powered by generationOn
Points of Light connects people to their power to make a meaningful difference by providing access to tools, resources, and opportunities to help volunteers use their time, talent, voice, and money to meet the critical needs of our communities.
Today, more than 46 million Americans—and 1 in 6 children (18 percent of all American children) are living below the poverty line. They live in families who have to make difficult choices between food, health care, heat and rent. To bring attention to this national crisis, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) has designated January as “Poverty in America Awareness Month.”
CCHD is committed to working towards the elimination of poverty in the United States. Sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization, CCHD today stands as one of the nation’s largest funding organizations for self-help programs for the poor.
Tour Poverty USA
Sesame Street Hunger Special
What Does Hunger Feel Like?
Shopping Matters Tour
Numbers of Hungry Children
Increasing In US
CCHD invests in the dignity of people living below the poverty line. Their programs support self-sufficiency and self-determination for people who are working to bring permanent change to their communities. Their philosophy emphasizes empowerment and participation for those in poverty. By helping the poor to participate in the decisions and actions affecting their lives and communities, CCHD empowers them to move beyond poverty.
Since 1970, CCHD has provided about 8,000 grants to self-help projects to aid those living in poverty. Each year CCHD distributes national grants to more than 300 projects and hundreds of smaller local programs are funded through the 25 percent share of the CCHD collection retained by dioceses.
During Poverty in America Awareness Month, the CCHD devotes efforts to heightening the nation's understanding of the size and depth of the problems of poverty by:
• Releasing public service campaign to raise awareness of poverty in America.
• Encouraging the editorial media to focus on poverty.
• Educating the public to be sensitive to the needs of those in poverty and to treat poor people with respect.
• Holding events in schools and public settings to remind people poverty does exist in American.
USA Poverty Statistics
The official poverty rate in 2009 was 14.3 percent, that is up from 13.2 percent in 2008. The number of people living in extreme poverty (those with incomes below half the poverty line), rose to over 17 million people. This is the highest level on record since data first became available in 1975. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division: 2008
Brother can you Spare a Dime? (1920's)
Different Ways to Get Involved
1. Volunteer 2. Make a donation 3. Share your knowledge
World Food Day was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in November 1979. FAO celebrates World Food Day each year on October 16th, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945.
“FOOD PRICES – FROM CRISIS TO STABILITY” has been chosen as the 2011 World Food Day theme to shed some light on this trend and what can be done to mitigate its impact on the most vulnerable.
WORLD FOOD DAY 2011
On World Food Day 2011, let us look seriously at what causes swings in food prices, and do what needs to be done to reduce their impact on the weakest members of global society.
The objectives of World Food Day are to:
*Encourage attention to agricultural food production and to stimulate national, bilateral, multilateral and non-governmental efforts to this end;
*Encourage economic and technical cooperation among developing countries;
*Encourage the participation of rural people, particularly women and the least privileged categories, in decisions and activities influencing their living conditions;
*Heighten public awareness of the problem of hunger in the world;
*Promote the transfer of technologies to the developing world; and
*Strengthen international and national solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty and draw attention to achievements in food and agricultural development.
Current News, Resources and Events in Nutrition, Food, Health, Environment, Safety and Disability Rights. Encourages awareness and inspires ideas for Journalists, Educators, Consumers and Health Professionals. Wellness News is up-dated daily and includes weekly and daily events. To view the entire Newsletter online click here or subscribe to Wellness News by adding your email address to the link on the left.
September 2011
Events, Celebrations and Resources
Weekly and Daily Events can be found in
the
Wellness Newsletter.
The future of tomorrow are the children of today.The world is fighting to meet the target of reaching the eight Millennium Development Goals by marking Universal Children's Day on November 20th. A review of organizations dedicated to improving the quality of Children's lives. Presented through songs, news reports, mission statements and children.
By resolution 836(IX) of 14 December 1954, the General Assembly recommended that all countries institute a Universal Children's Day, to be observed as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children. It recommended that the Day was to be observed also as a day of activity devoted to promoting the ideals and objectives of the Charter and the welfare of the children of the world. The Assembly suggested to governments that the Day be observed on the date and in the way which each considers appropriate. The date 20 November, marks the day on which the Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989.
In 2000 world leaders outlined Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015. Though the Goals are for all humankind, they are primarily about children.
1. Malnutrition is a major contributor to the total global disease burden. More than one third of child deaths worldwide are attributed to undernutrition. Poverty is a central cause of undernutrition.
2. A key indicator of chronic malnutrition is stunting - when children are too short for their age group compared to the WHO child growth standards. About 178 million children globally are stunted, resulting from not enough food, a vitamin- and mineral-poor diet, and disease. As growth slows down, brain development lags and stunted children learn poorly. Stunting rates among children are highest in Africa and Asia. In south-central Asia 41% are affected.
3. Wasting is a severe form of malnutrition - resulting from acute food shortages and compounded by illness. About 1.5 million children die annually due to wasting. Rising food prices, food scarcity in areas of conflict, and natural disasters diminish household access to appropriate and adequate food, all of which can lead to wasting. Wasting demands emergency nutritional interventions to save lives.
4. Hidden hunger is a lack of essential vitamins and minerals in the diet, which are vital to boost immunity and healthy development. Vitamin A, zinc, iron and iodine deficiencies are primary public health concerns. About 2 billion people are affected by iodine deficiencies worldwide; and vitamin A is associated with more than half a million deaths of under-five children globally each year.
5. The rise in overweight and obesity worldwide is a major public health challenge. People of all ages and backgrounds face this type of malnutrition. As a consequence, rates of diabetes and other diet-related diseases are escalating, even in developing countries. In a few developing countries, up to 20% of children under-five are overweight.
6. Good nutrition during pregnancy ensures a healthier baby. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for six months, introducing age-appropriate and safe complementary foods at six months, and continuing breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond. About 20% of deaths among children under-five worldwide could be avoided if these feeding guidelines are followed. Appropriate feeding decreases rates of stunting and obesity and stimulates intellectual development in young children.
7. Nutritional problems in adolescents start during childhood and continue into adult life. Anaemia is a key nutritional problem in adolescent girls. Preventing early pregnancies and fortifying the nutritional health of developing girls can reduce maternal and child deaths later, and stop cycles of malnutrition from one generation to the next. For both girls and boys, adolescence is an ideal time to shape good eating and physical activity habits.
8. A lifetime of unhealthy eating and inactivity raises health risks over time - contributing to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and other problems. The global population is ageing: the number of people aged 60 and older will jump from 700 million today to 1 billion by 2020. Nutritional health at older ages will be a critical factor in the state of global health.
9. Nutrition information is required to identify the areas where nutritional assistance is most needed and monitor the progress of change. In 2006 WHO released international child growth standards that provide benchmarks to compare children's nutritional status within and across countries and regions.
10. Public education is another way to improve nutritional health. Starting in China during the Beijing Olympics, and continuing in other countries, WHO and Member States will promote "5 keys" to a healthy diet:
a. give your baby only breast milk for the first six months of life
November 2010, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and ADA Foundation officially launched their first joint initiative, Kids Eat Right. The two-tiered campaign aims to mobilize ADA members to participate in childhood obesity prevention efforts, and to educate families, communities, and policy makers about the importance of quality nutrition.
Mission: The Kids Eat Right campaign was launched to support public education projects and programs that address the national health concern of obesity among our children.
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To learn more about the Kids Eat Right Campaign visit:
helping Children through Education. Break the cycle of poverty with more than a handout. Build a school or well. It's not charity. It's sustainability.
We Day- Your Actions, Your Impact Thousands of young people went to We Day then stood up and took action. Learn more at We Day 2010 is created by "Free The Children" to celebrate the power of young people to create positive change, We Day is a day-long event that ignites a year-long program for change, called We Schools in Action. In cities across Canada, the event brings inspirational speeches and performances to young leaders. Students then bring that energy home to take action on local and international issues all year long. Free The Children's We Day is the celebration, the inspiration and the vehicle for young people to change the world.
"Imagine a new idea as vital as democracy. Now imagine helping it spread quickly throughout the world! Child Honouring is one such idea, an idea whose time has come.
- Raffi
He is known to millions as "Raffi", a beloved songwriter and performer, author, ecology advocate and founder of Centre for Child Honouring. Child Honouring is a vision for creating a humane and sustainable world by addressing the universal needs of children.
To learn more about the Centre for Child Honouring, please visit the Centre for Child Honouring and join "the compassion revolution."
Covenant for Honouring Children
Turn This World Around
Raffi's tribute to humanity's hero sprang from Mandelas call to global leaders in 2000 to turn this world around, for the children. In 2001, Raffi sang this for Nelson Mandela at Torontos Ryerson University. The song expresses the essence of Raffi's Child Honouring philosophy, a children-first paradigm for societal change. A child-friendly world enriches all of us, and offers the best chance to create sustainable cultures. All children want to live in peace, and to follow their dreams.
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