Feed The Children, a Christian non-profit charity organization, this week is teaming up with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) to deliver USDA Grade A turkeys, holiday meals and personal care items to 10,000 families in need around Washington, D.C. Thursday, Dec. 3.
It’s part of an ongoing effort by Feed The Children, which in 2008, distributed more than 133 million pounds of food and other essentials to children and their families in all 50 states and internationally.
At the end of November, Feed The Children also teamed up with the Detroit Pistons to distribute food and personal care items to 8,000 Detroit-area families.
The D.C. event called “Miracle in the Nation’s Capital” is a primary component of the NBPA’s national campaign to brighten the holiday season for families experiencing financial hardship.
The amount of people who lack enough food has risen to the highest level since this kind of data has been tracked by the government, a new federal report shows. Nearly 50 million people struggled last year to get enough to eat. The federal government says the recession is partly to blame.
To help combat this, several players from the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors, and others, will be on hand to help distribute the 60 pounds of food and materials to each family. Families have been pre-identified by the Office of the Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.
“During the holiday season families, friends and neighbors come together to celebrate with warmth and compassion for one another,” said Mayor Fenty in a news release. “In keeping with this tradition, the District of Columbia is thrilled to team up with the NBPA and Feed The Children to distribute thousands of Christmas meals to residents in an effort to ensure everyone an opportunity to have a joyous holiday.”
“In partnership with the NBPA and the Office of the Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, we are looking forward to assisting those directly affected by this alarming national hunger crisis,” said Tony Sellars, Feed The Children spokesman. “These stunning statistics are exactly why Feed The Children will continue its mission to bring help and hope to struggling children and families in the United States.”
Feed The Children is ranked as one of the 10 largest international charities in the country that is based on private, not government, funding.