Sunrays® Blog
Helping Children During the Coronavirus Pandemic
It’s hard to believe it’s already been 5 months since the start of this pandemic in the United States. What looks on paper like a short period of time feels like a lifetime. A lot has changed. We have been forced to adjust quickly to this new “normal” and it certainly has not been easy for anybody – especially those in the most vulnerable populations and communities. So, what have we been doing to help these vulnerable communities? What we’ve always done – supporting our partner Save the Children by donating to their mission to help children for every SUNRAYS® package packed.
Over the last several months, Save the Children has been working tirelessly to support the most vulnerable children in some of rural America’s poorest communities. Their efforts have been focused on making sure children are able to continue to learn and get the nutrition they need while they’re home from school.
“Wide-scale learning loss could be among the biggest impacts coronavirus has on children in America. That’s why we are providing essential learning resources to families, so they can keep the learning going at home,” said Betsy Zorio, Vice President of Save the Children’s U.S. Programs and Advocacy. “We’re also concerned about the impact school closures will have on children’s nutrition, with more than 30 million kids relying on free or reduced-price meals served at school. We are finding creative ways to serve kids during this growing crisis. Children are relying on us.”
In some areas, Save the Children staff have been partnering with local school districts to provide activity bags, craft kits, and safety and prevention information to children and families to make sure children have the resources they need to thrive during this difficult time. In other areas, Save the Children staff have been partnering with school district staff to provide care packages to area families that include wipes, books, early learning tips and fun, educational activities, all handed out during breakfast and lunch deliveries along the district’s bus routes. These are just some examples of Save the Children’s efforts to help provide food and educational resources to more than 306,600 children and their families in 200 rural communities across the country.
Save the Children has also launched Coronavirus and Kids: Resources from Save the Children, which provides free online educational resources and tips for families.
Have you heard about Save the Children’s #SAVEWITHSTORIES? This amazing initiative was launched by actors Jennifer Garner and Amy Adams. Jennifer, a member of Save the Children’s Board of Trustees, and Amy shared their favorite books and stories on Instagram and Facebook – and asked their friends to do the same – to drive donations to Save the Children and Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign’s efforts to provide critical learning resources and nutritious meals to kids while they’re home from school. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed this campaign and would strongly recommend that you check it out! After all, who wouldn’t enjoy hearing a book read to them by their favorite celebrity and for a good cause none the less!
We understand it can be difficult to give at this time but that’s why we try to make it a little easier for you to make a difference – by giving you the choice to Snack with Impact®. We are all eating at home more than we ever have before so why not make your meal or snack contribute to something meaningful and impactful? We are all in this together and we know that together we will be able to give children the support they need.
