Going Mobile: Dairy Farmers Hit the Road to Raise Awareness for Child Hunger
School might be out in many parts of the country, but Undeniably Dairy’s “Milk Mobile” hit the road in honor of National Dairy Month and to raise awareness of a serious issue that affects millions of school-aged children across the United States during the summer.
School might be out in many parts of the country, but Undeniably Dairy’s “Milk Mobile” hit the road in honor of National Dairy Month and to raise awareness of a serious issue that affects millions of school-aged children across the United States during the summer.
One in six children in the U.S. faces hunger, and for them, the summer months could bring additional hardship. Child hunger becomes more prevalent at this time, as upward of 18 million children may lose access to the free or reduced-price school meal programs they depend on during the school year. As a result, they could miss out on important nutrition their growing bodies need—nutrition from foods like dairy.
The dairy community, along with Feeding America, is rallying during a cross-country tour in June and July of feeding sites, farmers markets and sporting events. They’re also raising awareness and donations for the Great American Milk Drive through the Real Love Convoy.
A stop in New York to visit “Good Morning America” served as the kickoff of the Real Love Convoy. As show host Ginger Zee discussed the significance of child hunger in the summer months, dairy farmer Katie Dotterer-Pyle and professional boxer and TV personality Laila Ali, herself a champion of health and fitness, spoke of the need to get good nutrition into the hands of kids over the summer, while talking about dairy’s year-round commitment. Meanwhile, the Milk Mobile provided a colorful, eye-catching backdrop for the segment, which focused on its cross-country mission to teach kids about nutrition.
Then, the convoy paid a visit to the Duke Ellington School, where 150 students and staff interacted with three farmers, dairy community brands Chobani, Cabot and Organic Valley, food bank representatives and a DJ. Next, they stopped in Washington, D.C., where they were met by 2,500 people at the USDA Farmers Market on the National Mall. Dairy farmers were on hand to answer questions, and Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes was there, too, to lend support.
Milk is one of the most-requested items at food banks because one glass provides 13 essential nutrients kids need for growth and development and is the top food source of three of the nutrients most likely to be missing from kids’ diets — calcium, vitamin D and potassium. That’s why America’s dairy community has been committed to nourishing families across the nation. Last year, dairy farmers and companies contributed 686 million servings (or 275 million pounds) of nutritious milk, cheese and yogurt to local food banks though Feeding America.
As the largest hunger-relief organization in the country, Feeding America works with its networks of food banks to get nutrient-rich foods like dairy to kids who need it when school isn’t in session. Through the Great American Milk Drive, people everywhere can act against hunger and help donate milk to families who need it. Even a small donation makes an impact — for as little as $5, food banks can deliver fresh gallons of milk to children and families who need it most in their communities.
Over the last five years, the dairy community has donated more than 31 million servings of milk to children and families in need through The Great American Milk Drive and is committed to providing 50 million servings of milk to children and families in need by 2020. You can take action against hunger and help increase access to nutrient-rich foods by donating milk at www.giveagallon.com. Even a small donation can make a big impact – for as little as $5, food banks can deliver fresh gallons of milk to children and families who need it most right in their community.
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