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Advocacy and Community Engagement
 Huskers Fighting Hunger
impacts on child and human development, physical and mental health, social productivity, and community
well-being. Yet despite its wide-ranging consequences, hunger remains an issue that is too often neglected.
To encourage more active, grass roots involvement, several socially conscious organizations, including Hunger Free Heartland, are sponsoring a forum on November 16 at Henzlik Hall Room 124, UNL campus (see Event section in this newsletter).
The keynote speaker, Dr. Mariana Chilton, is a nationally recognized leader on child hunger in
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Dr. Mariana Chilton
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America and an Associate Professor at Drexel University School of Public Health. Dr. Chilton is the Director of the Center for Hunger-Free Communities, formerly known as The Philadelphia GROW Project, and Co-Principal Investigator of Children's HealthWatch. Dr. Chilton's work has been featured in the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Parents Magazine, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, CBS National News and public radio. Her work was comprehensively featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer Series, a Portrait of Hunger, and most recently on CNN American Morning.
Parents as Breakfast Advocates
Hunger Free Heartland participated in Omaha Food Day at Aksarben Village this past month. In addition to 
providing coupons for a free box of cereal, HFH encouraged parents to email their local school principals in support of the Breakfast Challenge program.
A sample draft of that email is available for your use. Please encourage your friends and neighbors to take just 60 seconds and reach out to principals in their district. Private, public or parochial, it makes no difference. Every school in the state can participate in the program. Every child in the state deserves to start their day with a nutritious meal.
2010 State and Regional Assessment Report
Community Action of Nebraska has released the 2010 State and Regional Assessment Report. The survey is based upon 3,643 completed and returned surveys from an initial mailing sent to 10,000 randomly selected residents all across Nebraska during May and June, 2010.
Results are available for the state as a whole and by each region serviced by the eight community action organizations within the state.
According to the 2010 Assessment, the top three needs of respondents living in Douglas and Sarpy counties are:
1. Affordable medical, dental and vision care for family
2. Affordable food
3. Paying for utilities
The entire report is available through Community Action of Nebraska and can be downloaded here.
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Nutrition Education & Access
Cooking Matters
On Thursday, November 17, Share Our Strengths Cooking MattersŪ is holding a volunteer orientation from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm. We need chefs and nutrition experts to share their skills and knowledge by teaching families how to prepare healthy, tasty, low-cost meals on a limited budget. If you're interested, click here for more information or email Leah Brinkman, Class Coordinator.
With the support of its volunteers and sponsors, Cooking Matters is growing more than ever! In its 2010 program year, Cooking Matters served 56% more families compared to 2009.
Join us in 2011 and let's keep the momentum going!
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In School
Woodhouse Auto & KAT 103 Supporting Backpack Program
One in five children in Nebraska and western Iowa are at-risk of hunger. The Woodhouse Auto Family and KAT 103 urge you to help by participating in the
Woodhouse Challenge during the month of November
and donate to Food Bank for the Heartland's BackPack Program. You can give online at the virtual BackPack drive here.
Approximately 3,900 children in more than 80 schools in Nebraska and western Iowa receive backpacks full of nutritious food each week. The bags are discretely distributed to these hungry children each Friday at school so they have something to eat during the weekend. Your participation in the Woodhouse Challenge can help us fill those backpacks.
NE School Breakfast Challenge Webinar Slides
Slides and notes from the October 25th webinar which detailed funding opportunities for the NE School Breakfast Challenge are now available here, 
In the presentation you'll find valuable information on how to obtain grants and the amounts available from
Fuel Up to Play 60, Hunger Free Heartland/Con Agra Foods Foundation
and others.
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Newsletter Contents
Advocacy & Community Engagement
Nutrition Education & Access
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Events
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Huskers Fighting Hunger Forum
Learn how to get involved in anti-hunger and food security efforts at the Huskers Fighting Hunger Forum at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.
The forum's featured speaker is Dr. Mariana Chilton - a nationally recognized leader in anti-hunger efforts. There will also be a series of interactive workshops focused on three key areas: the link between hunger and obesity, developing political advocacy skills, and working with school programs to ensure children have access to food.
For more information click here or contact Lane Carr, ASUN President, at (402) 472-2581, or via email, or Tarik Abdel-Monem, at (402) 472-5678, or via his email.
When: Wednesday, November 16, 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Location: Henzlik Hall Room 124, College of Education and Human Sciences, University of Nebraska - Lincoln Campus
Ollie the Trolley Christmas Light Tour Ollie the Trolley will serve as transport for Christmas revelers interested in enjoying displays of Christmas lights. The tour is hosted by Heartland STOP Hunger. This non-profit organization is comprised of Millard Public Schools Food Service workers and is sponsored by Sodexo Corporation. The goal of the organization is to make sure children in the Omaha metro area receive adequate nutrition.
Two times are available for this hour tour. The tour is $10 per person.
Call 402-680-3683 for tickets.
Seating is limited!
When: Friday, December 2, tours begin promptly at 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm
Location: Pick up point for Ollie is JC Penney in the Oakview Mall
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Webinars
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act: What You Need to Know
Last year Congress passed the landmark child nutrition reauthorization law known as the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Now it's up to the USDA along with state policymakers, community leaders, and parents to make sure it gets fully implemented so that students have access to healthier school foods.
Join us for a webinar to learn how to work more effectively with your state Child Nutrition Program and enlist the support of local partners like school boards, PTAs, and school health councils.
Let's make sure policymakers and communities put our kids' health first.
This webinar is supported by funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. To learn more and to register, click here.
When: Thursday, November 10 from 8:00 am to 9:30 am CST
Nebraska School Breakfast Challenge III
This is the third webinar in the series to support and encourage broader participation by Nebraska schools in a student breakfast program. This webinar is hosted by the Nebraska Department of Education. Topics include information regarding meal requirements that must be met in order to qualify for federal subsidies.
Look for an announcement and more complete information in the next few days.
When: Friday, November 18 from 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm CST
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