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The ConAgra Foods Foundation has donated five trucks to member food banks in Florida to help with the transportation of donated food. They have provided grants to open eight Kids Cafes in Florida, which are after-school programs that offer food and a safe haven for children in need nationwide.

"Child hunger affects all of society. Children who aren't eating regularly and healthfully have a tougher time in school, and don't develop and grow as they should," said Chris Kircher, president of the ConAgra Foods Foundation. "This study reminds us that child hunger is in every community in this country and we can all help in some way to alleviate this tragedy."

"We hope that more people will do more to help throughout the holiday season and all year long," said Kircher. "People can donate funds and food to their local food banks or they can volunteer at a food bank, Kids Cafe or Backpack Program."

"It is a real eye-opener to see that so many states have such high rates of child food insecurity and hunger," said Dr. Cook. "Lack of adequate and nutritious food can have devastating effects on a child's development -- both physically and mentally. If a child is impaired at an early age, sometimes that damage can never be reversed -- and the child never becomes the adult that he or she should and could have been, simply because he or she went hungry as a child."

To access the study, please go to: http://www.secondharvest.org/learn_about_hunger/methodology.pdf.

An interactive map showing child food insecurity state by state is at: http://www.secondharvest.org/childhunger.

America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through its network of more than 200 member food banks, Am
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