I spent Thanksgiving day in Denver with family this year. The meal was wonderful. Spending time with family that I see once every other year or so was even more wonderful. This Thanksgiving, it wasn't just the environment and faces that were different, so was my outlook on hunger.

I am part of Share Our Strength in Maine. We are an all volunteer group who raises money through culinary events. 80% of the funds we raise is donated to organizations in Maine who are dedicated to helping children suffering from hunger and hunger-related issues. The balance of our funds support national and international hunger relief efforts.

I spent some time on the phone this week talking with the Share Our Strength folks in Denver and learned a lot about childhood hunger in Colorado, which as it turns out is very similar to Maine.

In Colorado one in 33 households experiences hunger. One in five children under twelve are hungry or at risk of malnutrition. This equates to roughly 165,000 children.

In Maine, over 40% of children under twleve show evidence of hunger. That equates to more than 19,000 children. An additional 64,000 Maine children are at risk of hunger. (10% of Maine households, representing 141,000 people, experience food insecurity. )

Globally, children living in households which experienced hunger or the risk of hunger are more likely to experience health or school-related problems. Obviously it's a terrible issue, no matter where you are.

The point of this blog is not just to remind you of these statistics, it is to invite you to help. Share Our Strength needs volunteers -- we need more good people with open minds and hearts. Share Our Strength is just one way to help. There are many organizations in Maine that make a big impact. If you're curious about ways that you can pitch in you can reach out to me. I'd be happy to tell you about SOS and the other orgs in Maine that I know of. Or you can use this site -- http://www.volunteermatch.org.

I think it's safe to say that helping others is addictive. It made my Thanksgiving truly thankful and also was a time to reflect. I hope yours was wonderful, too.

Cheers.