Hunger
Contributions to Friends of Friends Fighting Hunger make a substantial impact on the ever increasing number of Otter Tail & Wadena county residents who struggle with hunger. Currently in Otter Tail County there are 5,490 children and individuals who face food insecurity.
Over the past 16 years your compassion and generosity has allowed Friends of Friends to fund $22,408 for mobile food drops, $658,591.43 for the Children’s Weekend Feeding Back Pack Program in the seven school districts and $467,376.56 for the eight food shelves in Otter Tail County and the city of Wadena. Working in partnership with United Way of Otter Tail & Wadena Counties allows the Friends of Friends Fighting Hunger Committee to use 100% of our proceeds to support these projects.
How do I get involved?
If you are interested in becoming a committee member or volunteering for the Friends of Friends Fighting Hunger annual event, please contact Summer Hammond at 218-770-9406. If you would like to donate to Friends of Friends, click on the "Donate" button on the bottom left corner of the screen!
Children’s Weekend Feeding Backpack Program
Hunger impairs our children’s health in significant and long-lasting ways:
- Children who struggle with hunger are sick more often, recover more slowly, and are more likely to be hospitalized, at an average cost of $12,000 per pediatric stay.
- They are more likely to experience headaches, stomachaches, colds, ear infections and fatigue.
- Children who face hunger are more susceptible to obesity and its harmful health consequences as children and as adults.
Hunger impedes our children’s ability to learn and perform academically.
- Undernourished children cannot learn as much, as fast or as well.
- Lack of enough nutritious food impairs a child’s ability to concentrate and perform well in school.
- Children who don’t get enough nutritious food are more susceptible to the negative effects of skipping breakfast, thereby impeding their ability to think and learn throughout the day.
Hunger predisposes our children to emotional and behavioral difficulties.
- Children who regularly do not get enough nutritious food have more behavioral, emotional and academic problems and tend to be more aggressive and anxious.
- Teens that regularly do not get enough to eat are more likely to be suspended from school and have difficulty getting along with other kids.
Where can your gift make a difference?
$170 - Will fill a backpack with food for one child every weekend for the full school year.
$500 - Makes you an Otter Tail County or city of Wadena Food Shelf sponsor.
$1,770 - Will fill ten backpacks with food for 10 children for the full school year.
$5,000 - Otter Tail County or city of Wadena Food Shelf Partner status
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