Cleveland AmeriCorps Members Expanding Reach to Akron

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jim Henry, Senior Vice President Amy Martin-Madeley, AmeriCorps Member
614-341-7700, ext. 289 216-541-5915, ext. 203
JHenry@ChildrensHungerAlliance.org AMartin@ChildrensHungerAlliance.org

Cleveland AmeriCorps Members Expanding Reach to Akron
Proven program will benefit additional children throughout northeast Oho

Cleveland, OHIO - (September 20, 2010) Children’s Hunger Alliance (CHA) announces today an expansion of its existing work with AmeriCorps members in northeast Ohio to Akron.

CHA, a statewide nonprofit organization with a strong northeast Ohio presence, utilizes AmeriCorps members stationed at urban afterschool and summer program sites throughout the Cleveland area to teach the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities program which focuses on nutrition and physical activity for children in grades K-8. Last year, nearly 400 children participated in this program in the Cleveland area and this upcoming year the program will expand to Akron with the addition of two more AmeriCorps members, Colleen Poling and Theresa Attalla. Those members hope is to reach 150 Akron children through the program.

“We view this expansion as a real opportunity to make a difference in the Akron community,” says Debra Parmer, Vice President with Children’s Hunger Alliance’s northeast Ohio office in Cleveland. “This nationally recognized program improves the chances of these children leading a healthy and productive life.”

Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities teaches two proven curriculum, Food Folks and CATCH, to improve the nutrition education and physical fitness of the children who participate.

The Food Folks nutrition education curriculum consists of 12 hands-on lessons focusing on healthy behaviors for elementary school age children.  The Coordinated Approach to Childhood Health (CATCH) physical education curriculum is designed to promote healthful behaviors in school children and reduce their subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Overall, 88 percent of children who participated in the CATCH physical education program in Cleveland increased their cardiovascular endurance during the implementation of the program. In addition, 78 percent of children who participated in the Food Folks education program improved their knowledge of healthy eating through the program and over $3,000 of physical education equipment was given to sites following the completion of the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities programming to help continue the mission.
AmeriCorps is a national service program that provides adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups. AmeriCorps members devote a year of their lives to this service, which address critical needs in communities all across America.
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Children’s Hunger Alliance is the statewide nonprofit organization committed to breaking the cycle of childhood hunger in Ohio through education, leadership, advocacy and service. The agency, which has a regional office on Euclid Avenue, works with schools, child care providers, youth-serving and faith-based organizations, elected officials and other policy makers, businesses and individuals to improve each child’s opportunity to be well-nourished, healthy and thrive. To learn more, visit www.ChildrensHungerAlliance.org or call 614-341-7700.

Childhood Hunger: The Problem
In Ohio, the problem of childhood hunger is very real. Today, there are roughly 500,000 children who don't know where their next meal is coming from. This is a preventable problem.

The consequences of childhood hunger are profound, both for Ohio’s children and the state. Children who don’t have access to healthy meals suffer, and often have a harder time attending and learning in school and experience a greater number of health and behavioral problems.

Children's Hunger Alliance: The Solution
Children’s Hunger Alliance is a statewide non-profit agency working toward long-term solutions to fighting childhood hunger.

To achieve our goal, we work with schools, youth-serving non-profits, faith-based groups and child care providers to increase participation in USDA Child Nutrition Programs. In addition, we fight hunger and poor nutrition with education, physical activity information and supplemental resources for caregivers, parents and children.

A Brief History of the Agency
In 1970, Children’s Hunger Alliance started with a single volunteer and a $2,000 grant. Our programs and services now touch communities in every county in Ohio, helping feed the hungry minds and bodies of hundreds of thousands of children each year. We’ve had different names – Hunger Task Force and Ohio Hunger Task Force – but 40 years later, our goal is the same: to end childhood hunger in Ohio.

Children's Hunger Alliance

CONTACT: Jim Henry, Senior Vice President
614-341-7700, ext. 289
JHenry@ChildrensHungerAlliance.org

Central Ohio Office
370 S. Fifth Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
800-227-6446
614-341-7700
Fax: 614-341-7701

Northeast Ohio Office
3634 Euclid Avenue, Suite 200
Cleveland, Ohio 44115
216-541-5915
Fax: 216-541-5921

Southwest Ohio Office
3077 Kettering Blvd., Suite 300
Dayton, Ohio 45439
937-534-0600
Fax: 937-534-0613

This release was published on openPR.