Bread for the World!

Resources for Kids and Teens

The resources on this page will help you learn about hunger in the United States and what we can do to end it. Together, we can change the world!

Stories About Hunger: Rosie's Banana

Like a lot of kids her age, Colorado ten-year-old Rosie Casey sometimes loses focus during class. Her teacher, Leslie Nichols, who is used to students occasionally daydreaming during lessons, taught Rosie an exercise to help her concentrate. Nichols told Rosie to write the word “focus” on a little sticker and look at it every time she felt her mind start to drift. Still, Rosie struggled to pay attention... read the whole story at http://www.bread.org/help/community/kids/kids-and-teens.html?signed=yes&JServSessionIdr004=nq1jl8q0c2.app304b  

In 2005, 1.4 billion people in developing countries lived in extreme poverty, living on less than $1.25 a day.

Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes.

In the United States, 14.5 percent of households struggle to put food on the table.

More than one in four American children are at risk of hunger. More than one in five children live in households that struggle to put food on the table.

This website is filled with great resources for Community Food Network partners!  You can also "Like" them on Facebook!

Seed Starting at Lyons District Library

The Lyons District Library is holding special children's activities all throughout Spring Break!  

On Friday, April 5th the Dugan Family will be at the Library to teach kids about starting seeds!

10:30am  Story Time, Seed Starting Project and Snack

The seeds will remain at the library until the ground warms up so youth can check back on their progress while returning books.  Once the ground warms up, seeds will be transplanted to the Dugan Garden a few blocks away from the Library.  When the harvest is ready, the Library will again host a Salsa Party so kids can taste the yummy produce that was grown from the seeds!  Remaining produce that is harvested from these plants will be donated to the Muir Christian Food Pantry.

What a great way to celebrate SPRING and serve your community!

Here are the pictures from this event and a link the Sentinel Standard Article

Lyons area children learn about the benefits of planting, growing and eating fresh foods from the garden by starting plants from their own seeds. When the plants are big enough, they will be planted in the community garden at The Higbee Acre Farm. The program, part of spring break activities at the Lyons Township District Library, took place Friday.

Peanut Butter and Jam Slam!

Join the Ionia Kids Club in supporting Ionia County Food Pantries!

DoSomething.org is helping to raise support on the local level through service groups holding PB&J Slams! For each 10 jars collected, youth are able to enter for a chance to receive a $4,000 scholarship.

GenerationOn.org is also raising support on a local level through service groups with the "What will you bring to the table?" promotion. 

Ionia Kids Club Members have decided to combine resources and work on both of these like minded projects together! They will be collecting PB&J from April 11th to May 16th then passing on the donations to local food pantries. Then they will be making table cloths that will be distributed to local Community Gardens through the Community Food Network to give volunteers a clean place to enjoy eating fresh produce.

Here is how YOU can help!

Donate jars of Peanut Butter and/or Jam during our Thursday after meetings. Drop your donation off April 11th- May 16th during our regular hours of Ionia Kids Club.

Where: First Christian Church
130 E Washington St.
When: Thursday Afternoons
Time: 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm

Voots $700 mini-grant!

Voots® Veggie-Fruit Tarts and Kidsgardening.org, a resource of the National Gardening Association, present the 2013 Voots® "Get Kids Growing" Garden Grants! 20 schools will receive:  $700 in gardening supplies $50 for soil and plants Applications close April 1st, 2013. Visit Kidsgardening.org for more details. Applications due by Monday, April 1st, 2013!

Spring Time!

So spring is officially here. As much as it still looks like winter, its time to really get ready to start your gardens! It's an exciting prospect that soon the snow will all be gone and we will be able to get out and really enjoy the outdoors. I'm looking forward to fresh local fruits and vegetables. If you are planning your own garden you may be wondering what you want to plant, I'm currently loving the themed gardens I've been hearing about. Gardens based on what you want to make with the produce, like salsa gardens, salad gardens, or soup gardens. I also love gardens that are planned to produce the most produce with the least space, using plants that can be harvested multiple times like tomatos or green beans.


If you need help planning your garden there are lots of wonderful resources online and in your community. You can ask your local master gardener for tips and suggestions or you can go to some of these helpful websites:
http://www.happydancingturtle.org/index.php/growing-green-othermenu-195/95/1379-planning.html?gclid=CMSHw86ljrYCFQs4nAodzXAAzA

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-essentials-of-how-to-plan-a-garden.html

http://www.almanac.com/vegetable-garden-planning-for-beginners

It may seem like a long way off, but if you begin planting this spring soon enough you will be enjoying all the wonderful results of your hard work!



Don't forget!

If you are planning a Community Garden this year in Montcalm or Ionia Counties, please register your garden by taking this short survey:  2013 Garden Survey 

Learn more about the local Community Gardens and Food Pantries at the Community Food Network Website!  Or attend our Garden Planning Meeting on April 8th at the Mid-Michigan District Health Dept  (Stanton) from 3:30-5pm!

New Resources Available!

Check out the new MSU Extension Newsletter!

Michigan State University Extension News Community Food Systems Digest Greetings! Welcome to Michigan State University Extension News Community Food Systems Digest!

Upcoming Events Tackling Traceability Workshop - March 27, 2013 | 9 a.m.-Noon | Kalamazoo County MSU Extension, 3299 Gull Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49048   Michigan Junior Chef Competition - May 9, 2013 | Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 | Registration due March 26, 2013 Ridge Economic Agricultural Partners (REAP) Annual Meeting and Inservice - March 26, 2013 | 7-9 p.m. | Alpine Township Hall, 5255 Alpine Avenue NW, Comstock Park, MI 49321    2013 Garden Educator Workshops - Creating a Youth Farm Stand Project - March 28, 2013 | 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. | Michigan State University Tollgate Education Center, 28115 Meadowbrook Road, Novi MI 4837    Read more at this link:  http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=udsiqshab&v=001VZO97oWchjBC_8CU-ZKwVHA1oWZKAdxsKd-UZ0Nck4xDLhXSSgJEiAk3sVdVrnh2BimB3tvC58vxDwYQ9M7kP571B9F4k-NUJputacYtPG52WZrlPuX2Dg%3D%3D Also check out this Article in the Sentinel Standard about the revamping of the Food Pantry at the Church of the Nazarene! Local church offers food pantry, clothes closet Congregation becoming the 'hands and feet of Christ' PHOTO/ KARIN ARMBRUSTER Church of the Nazarene volunteers (from left) Lois Sullivan, Sarah Bergin and Andrea Jones pose with boxes of food assembled for those in need throughout Ionia County. The church in Ionia has revamped its food pantry, which is offered from 3 to 4:30 p.m. each Monday. Another resource for people in need throughout the Ionia area is revamped and available, thanks to members and volunteers from the Church of the Nazarene. Pastor Ron Bergin said the food pantry used to be offered by an on-call basis, but now the congregation and its volunteers are providing the opportunity for those in need to visit the location and receive food items each Monday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. In addition to the pantry, the church offers the Clothing Closet. Men's, women's and children's gently used clothing is available free of charge, along with shoes and some bedding. The Church of the Nazarene is located at 83 E. Tuttle Road. For more information or to donate food or clothing items, call 616-527-9350. Follow Karin Armbruster on Twitter @ISSKarin

Cabbage

Cabbage is wonderful! Especially this time of year when most stores have it on sale for less than twenty cents/pound for St. Patrick's Day. I personally love cabbage just boiled and drained with a bit of salt and pepper but there are many other wonderful ways to eat it. It's also quite good for you. It is a great source of vitamin C and fiber. Cabbage also has decent amounts of calcium, protein, vitamin A, and Iron. It is very low in fat too so if you are watching your waistline it won't hurt. I love cabbage and I want you to love it too, so here are a few recipes for you to try.

Easy Corned Beef And Cabbage
Sauteed Cabbage
Creamy Coleslaw
Oil And Vinegar Coleslaw
Un-Stuffed Cabbage Soup
Stuffed Cabbage

I hope you get much joy out of the cheap wonderful cabbage available this St. Patrick's day, I sure plan on it.