We Scare Hunger!!

      So, ever since I worked in the central city and fell in love with children who came to school hungry each day because they didn't have any dinner the night before, I have made it a point to be sure I teach my new students each year about a world that some of them can't imagine.  The truth is that one in six children in our country (that's right, in America!) go hungry each and every day.  To do something meaningful during all of the Halloween hype, last year I organized a school wide campaign called Halloween for Hunger.  It wasn't my idea...the wonderful people at Free the Children started this international campaign.  This year they changed the name to We Scare Hunger!  It's such a fantastic idea and really is pretty simple to organize.  Click on the picture and then scroll down to go to an introduction video.

     The basic idea of We Scare Hunger is that instead of going trick or treating for candy (which we want but don't need) we can go trick or treating for nonperishables and donate them to a local food bank/shelter.  How genius is that!  No. child. should. go. home. and. worry. about. if. they'll. get. to. eat. or. not.

     Does your school have a Halloween dance/party?  That would be a great time to hold a We Scare Hunger food drive.  And, it's not too late to whip up a flyer to send home, either!  The PTO at my school hosts a Halloween Dance and so to benefit the cause, I asked them to request people bring a can or other nonperishable to get into the dance.  We were able to get a lot of food this way and will be doing it again this year, too.

    Also, we actually went trick or treating on Halloween during school to neighborhood homes.  The week before, we walked our route and left flyers at each home letting them know we would be back on Halloween between certain times to collect their nonperishables.  With my second graders, our area was about two blocks long, and it took us about an hour to walk there and back. We knocked at each house, and people were very receptive to seeing kids out for a good cause.  I also included in the flyer that if people would not be home, they could leave food in a bag out on the front steps/porch and we would pick it up.  This worked well, too.  Here's a few pictures of the fun last year.

     This year I'm feeling a little more adventurous and am letting my students put on costumes for our walk.  After all, they are supposed to be trick or treating to make hunger disappear!

     I'll be sure to post pics from this year next week!  Feel free to follow me so you don't miss them.  :)

     Please leave a comment and let me know if you also participate or plan to this year!  Have a great week!