Funds raised from the Hot Mamas Run & Baby Parade benefit Oklahoma-based organizations providing education, resources, and support to women, children, and families. By participating in our event, you communicate to these organizations that their work is not only important, but essential to the well-being of our community. We are pleased to announce the 2013 recipients:
REGIONAL FOOD BANK OF OKLAHOMA | FOOD FOR KIDS CHILDHOOD HUNGER PROGRAMS
“One in four Oklahoma children struggle with hunger on a daily basis. We knew we needed to create a specific program to address chronic childhood hunger as we started to hear stories like this: On a Monday morning in 2003 our Executive Director received a phone call from an elementary school Principal in Oklahoma City. One of his students passed out while waiting in line for lunch. As they were taking care of the student in the nurse’s station, they learned that all he had eaten between last Friday’s school lunch and the lunch he was waiting for this Monday was a hot dog without a bun. This is not enough food for a young child to grow, develop, play, or learn! So in 2003 we started the Backpack Program. That year, 180 kids in 5 schools in Oklahoma City participated in the Backpack Program. This school year over 12,000 chronically hungry elementary students in 478 schools in all 53 of the counties in our service area will receive a backpack filled with kid-friendly food every Friday to help sustain them over the weekends during the school year. We are also in the pilot year of the Food for Kids School Pantry program so food donations are truly needed.”
To learn more about the Food for Kids Childhood Hunger Programs, please visit their website.
OKLAHOMA BIRTHNETWORK
The Oklahoma BirthNetwork is a chapter of BirthNetwork National, consumer based, grassroots movement based on the belief that birth can profoundly affect our physical, mental and spiritual well-being. BirthNetwork National is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and advocates Mother-Friendly care, as defined by the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative (MFCI). By making informed choices and having confidence in the process, families can experience safe and satisfying childbirth. The Oklahoma BirthNetwork is dedicated to “Empowering Oklahoma families and providers to work together to make informed decisions during the childbearing year.”
To learn more about the Oklahoma BirthNetwork, please visit their website or Facebook page, or follow them on Twitter.
