In two days, we are launching a yearlong initiative to spark innovation and a broader engagement in the movement to end hunger in America.
We have enough food to feed all 49 million Americans in need. Unfortunately, there are barriers that prevent us from becoming a hunger-free nation.
So what’s it going to take? First and foremost, we need more people to care enough to take action. Then, we need them to keep caring and taking action until we reach our goal. It’s really that simple.
Simple doesn’t mean easy. Nor does it mean just a click and poof it’s gone. But, it does mean it’s doable.
That’s why we’ve brought together Share Our Strength, Feeding America, Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, Mashable, PepsiCo, ConAgra Food Foundation, and Tyson Foods. Together, we will spend the rest of the year to grow our movement thru four phases of action:
I. Launch (March -April):
Digital Can Drive – On March 4, we will kick off a 15-day Digital Can Drive that rewards people to commit to take action: Give, Share, and Volunteer. Every person who commits to take action will be able donate a digital can of food to the state of his or her choice. On March 18, the Top 10 States with the most digital cans of food will each win a semi-truckload of real food.
Cause Lab – From March 15–April 15, we are inviting disrupters and innovators to lend their talents to solve three main challenges facing our movement:
1. How do we design the hunger-free community?
2. How do we humanize hunger using data?
3. How do we accelerate local action?
The Cause Lab will launch on Monday, March 15, during an in-person event as part of the South By Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, TX. Follow along and participate online that day and up until April 15 thru the link on www.wecanendthis.com/sxsw. Using the money we raise thru the Digital Can Drive, we will choose the best ideas to implement in partnership with our charity partners.
Hunger Shift solutions series – We are inviting forward thinking business, government, and civic innovators to share their thoughts and ideas on how we can end hunger in America. We will ask them to offer specific solutions to specific issues and challenges. This three-part e-book series will be released over the course of 2010 free of charge.
II. Delivery (April-August):
Working with Feeding America, Share Our Strength, and our corporate partners, we will deliver ten semi-truckloads of food donated by Tyson Foods over a five-month period. Each time, we will showcase hunger agencies efforts in the staee, illustrate the challenges and dynamics in these communities, and deliver enough food to provide 150,000 meals. In total, we will deliver 1.5 million meals during one of the times of greatest need – the summer months.
III. Day of Service (September/October)
In the early Fall, we will organize a national day of service to demonstrate the wide variety of ways individuals and groups can help end hunger. We will coordinate official programs in the ten winning states and provide resources for people who would like to do the same in other states. Not only will it be fun, it will also be rewarding.
IV. Holiday Gifting (November–December)
The months of November and December bring with them a surge of volunteers and food donations. However, this often overwhelms the system and does not lead to ongoing engagement particularly for the neediest summer months. We plan to introduce a new program to turn holiday good intentions into lasting, impactful actions.
Beyond 2010
Our goal this year is to shift the conversation about hunger in America and grow the movement. We think we will achieve these goals. When the year comes to a close, we will evaluate our progress and decide what comes next. Until then, we’re staying focused on sparking innovation and broader engagement.
You can share your ideas, thoughts, or objections by leaving them in the comments field. All press inquiries can be directed to Scott Henderson thru WeCanEndThis AT causeshift DOT com.
Tags: hunger movement, leading change, strategy, SXSW
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