Aug 29, 2016 01:30 pm
Emmy Award-winning actress Viola Davis, the Albertsons Companies Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) have come together to produce the new Hunger Is “Hungry for More” campaign which focuses on the importance of daily breakfast for children, seeking to provide five million more breakfasts this year to children in need.
Hunger Is Ambassador Viola Davis supporting the fight to eradicate childhood hunger in the United States
Hunger Is, a joint charitable program of the Albertsons Companies Foundation and EIF, designed to raise awareness and funds to fight childhood hunger in America, will feature this PSA campaign in select Albertsons family of stores during the month of September. The print, broadcast, digital and out-of-home PSA campaign will begin running in August.
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Shoppers at the Albertsons family of stores — which include Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Shaw’s, Star Market, Tom Thumb, Randalls, ACME Markets and others — will have the opportunity to fight childhood hunger in their communities by giving to Hunger Is during an in-store fundraising campaign the month of September at more than 2,300 Albertsons family of stores across the U.S. Funds raised through the in-store campaign will contribute toward reaching the five million breakfasts goal.
The program has seen continued success over the last three years, raising $12.5 million to date, to support local hunger programs. The year-round campaign, which kicks off with the September in-store effort, will encourage individuals and communities to unite with the goal of providing healthy breakfast to kids in their neighborhoods and developing a lasting solution to childhood hunger in America.
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“I am so thrilled to see our communities coming together to support eradicating childhood hunger in America,” said Hunger Is Ambassador Viola Davis. “The ‘Hungry for More’ public awareness campaign is integral in educating the public on how severe childhood hunger is – in every community – in America. It also demonstrates the importance of children starting off their day with breakfast. They’re able to learn more, achieve greater success and live healthier. I am honored to continue to stand with my friends at the Albertsons Companies Foundation and the Entertainment Industry Foundation while working to put an end to this significant problem in our country.”
Funds raised will go towards programs focused on eradicating childhood hunger and improving health-related outcomes for hungry children and their families. In the last two years, Hunger Is has awarded 230 grants that have helped local and regional programs provide breakfast and lunch when school is closed and teach families how to most cost–effectively shop and cook healthy food on their limited food budgets.
“When children struggle with food insecurity, they struggle to just enjoy life,” said Christy Duncan Anderson, Executive Director of the Albertsons Companies Foundation. “We are committed to ensuring that children throughout the country can start their day with a good meal and are ready to learn, play and grow.”
Hunger Is grant recipients were selected with the help of the Hunger Is Advisory Committee (HIAC), comprised of leaders from the most respected hunger advocacy organizations in the U.S. including Center for Hunger-Free Communities, Drexel University, Feeding America, Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), New York City Coalition Against Hunger, Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign, andWhyHunger. The HIAC provides guidance in defining and addressing needs and makes funding recommendations for approval by The Safeway Foundation and EIFBoards of Directors.
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“We are thrilled to have Viola share her personal story and lend her voice again to this cause that continues to be prevalent in our communities. Her story and passion continues to inspire so many to help put an end to childhood hunger,” said Lisa Paulsen, President & CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. “1 in 5 children in America struggle with hunger every day, and with this new campaign, we’re hoping to change that by providing kids with the breakfast they need in order to grow and succeed all year-long.”
Mercy For Animals’ Annual Hidden Heroes Gala – a celebration of their brave undercover investigators and their incredible supporters – will take place September 10.
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Held at the magnificent Vibiana in Downtown Los Angeles on September 10, 2016, this black tie event will aim to move and inspire. The night will include a celebrity-studded awards show, delicious dinner, silent auction, and much more.
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Incorporated (CBCF) announced that legendary actors Cicely Tyson, Richard Roundtree, and music icon Dionne Warwick will accept awards for their lifetime achievements in the arts during the 20th Annual Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts.
The awards ceremony, which will take place Sept. 14 at the Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW in Washington, D.C. from 8:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m., is organized in cooperation with the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Spouses Visual and Performance Arts Scholarship program. This event will mark the start of the CBCF’s 46th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC), one of the nation’s leading public policy conferences.
“With a lifetime of entertaining and educating us, this year’s honorees have also distinguished themselves as remarkable leaders and passionate advocates for the arts and arts education,” said CBCF president and CEO A. Shuanise Washington. “Their outstanding contributions and continuing commitment to the arts make them ideal to help elevate the visibility of the CBC Spouses Visual and Performance Arts Scholarship Program. The awards are conferred on artists whose legacy includes not only extraordinary works but a commitment to cultivating future generations of artists.”
Since 1996, the Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts has raised funds to support the CBC Spouses Visual and Performing Arts Scholarship Fund. Twenty scholarships are awarded annually to highly qualified students pursuing undergraduate degrees in the arts, based on their creative talent, academic excellence, financial need and community service. Two of this year’s scholarship recipients, vocalist Lindsey Reynolds, and Justin Syas, a pianist, will perform during the event.
“We have supported arts education for 20 years through the Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts, during a time when arts education has decreased in many schools,” said Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, a CBC Spouse and chair of the Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts. “We will continue to highlight the contributions of great artists while raising money to support aspiring scholarship recipients as it reinforces the importance of art and its impact in our communities.”
The sponsors for this year’s Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts include Union Pacific Corporation, as the title sponsor, Heineken USA, ASPiRE and UP TV.
Point Foundation (Point) will honor producer and broadcast executive Michael Lombardo with the Point Impact Award at the organization’s annual Point Honors Los Angeles gala October 1.
Point presents its Impact Award to an individual who has made a significant impact on improving the lives of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community.
During Lombardo’s decade-long tenure as President, Programming, for Home Box Office, the network launched some of its most successful series, including “True Blood,” “Game of Thrones,” “Girls,” “Veep,” and “Looking.” Lombardo, who first joinedHBO in 1983, continues to develop creative projects for HBO as a producer.
“As someone in arts and entertainment, I am drawn to engaging stories about people. But not being able to get a college education because you’ve come out to family and friends as gay, lesbian, bi or trans, should not have to be part of anyone’s life story,” said Lombardo. “Thankfully Point Foundation makes it possible for LGBT young people to live a different story, one where they get their college degree and go on to become doctors, lawyers, filmmakers; whatever their ambition. It is a story of hope I’m honored to support.”
“Michael Lombardo, in his leadership role at HBO, has brought more realistic LGBTQcharacters to TV in the last decade than anyone else. Many young people have grown up finding reflections of themselves in LGBTQ characters featured in the shows he has helped develop,” said Jorge Valencia, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Point Foundation. “As an openly gay man who has earned the respect of everyone in his profession, Michael is an inspiration to Point Scholars and Alumni, and a good friend of Point.” Past honorees recognized by Point include Jeffrey Tambor, Lena Dunham, Jonathan Groff, and other allies and members of the LGBTQ community. Additional celebrity participation for the October 1 Point Honors event will be announced in the coming weeks. Information about attending or supporting Point Honors is at www.pointfoundation.org/LAHonors.
Point Foundation is the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer LGBTQ students of merit. Some of Point’s 84 current scholarship recipients and 244 alumni will be present at the event to share with the audience their inspiring stories about how they have overcome challenges to get their higher education degrees.
Aug 29, 2016 07:30 am Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization, has partnered with the Ad Council and McCann New York to launch new public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to raise awareness about child hunger in the United States.
Featuring the voice of celebrity activist Julianne Moore, who volunteered her time and talent, the PSAs call upon Americans to help children facing hunger in America by supporting the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks.
One in five children in America – 15 million – struggle with hunger, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Research shows that proper nutrition, particularly in the first three years of life, is critical to a child’s physical and emotional development. Children from families struggling with hunger may be more likely to:
• repeat a grade in elementary school;
• experience developmental impairments in areas like language and motor skills; or
• have more social and behavioral problems.
“Hunger is harmful to people of all ages, yet we know it is particularly devastating for children,” said Diana Aviv, CEO of Feeding America. “We hope that these PSAs serve as a wake-up call on behalf of children in every community in our nation who need our help, whose basic needs are not being met.”
The new PSAs feature real-life moments that illustrate the lengths people go to help kids every day, whether it’s finding the owner of a lost toy or picking up a dropped sippy cup. Through these small acts of kindness toward children, the PSAs call attention to the sentiment that “we would do anything for kids.” It further emphasizes that message by stating the reality that millions of children across the country face hunger and are in need of our kindness and support.
“We all can play a role in ensuring our children have enough to eat and we are profoundly grateful for Ms. Moore’s support to raise awareness and inspire action on this serious issue,” said Aviv.
The PSAs encourage audiences to visit www.FeedingAmerica.org/psa where they can take action to support children facing hunger, by:
• learning more about child hunger in their communities;
• finding volunteer opportunities at a Feeding America network food bank in their area;
• contacting Members of Congress to advocate for strong child nutrition programs; and
• donating food or funds to ensure children and their families have meals on the table.
The new PSA campaign was created pro bono by agency partner, McCann New York, in partnership with the Ad Council and with theme music from Transparent donated by Amazon Studios. Funding for the PSAs was provided by C&S Wholesale Grocers, Inc. and the ConAgra Foods Foundation.
“Every day we get to do things that help our clients reach their goals. But it’s not often that a client asks us to help end childhood hunger in the U.S. We are humbled and grateful to be part of Feeding America’s great work and proud to help the Ad Council address the most important issues of our time,” said Grant Smith, Executive Creative Director of McCann NY.
The new PSAs are an extension of the Hunger Prevention campaign, first launched by Feeding America and the Ad Council in 2008. Through the Ad Council’s unique model, all PSAs will run during advertising time donated entirely by the media. Since the launch of the national Hunger Prevention campaign, media outlets across the country have contributed more than $383 million worth of donated media space to Feeding America’s PSAs.
“With so many people willing and ready to help children, it is difficult to grasp the fact that one in five children in America struggle with hunger. We’re proud to partner with Feeding America to reduce hunger by showing just how easy it is to help. Our hope is that these new PSAs showcasing strangers doing good deeds for children will drive home the huge impact small acts can have,” shares Lisa Sherman, President and CEOof Ad Council.
The release of the Feeding America child hunger PSAs coincide with the launch of their largest annual awareness campaign, Hunger Action Month. Each September, the Feeding America nationwide network of food banks leads this campaign to drive awareness and mobilize the public to take action in the fight to end hunger.
