Beyoncé Shows Helping Hand
- By Erica Davis
- Published 07/14/2009
- Economics
- Unrated
Erica Davis
Erica Davis is the youth editor for African-American News&Issues. Send your youth items and photos to E.C. Davis via email: news@aframnews.com.
Statistics show The Feeding America Network is the country’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization, with a network of more than 200 regional member food banks serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Each year, the organization provides food to more than 25 million low-income Americans, including more than nine million children and nearly three million seniors. According to the USDA, 12.4 million American children--one in six--are food insecure.
Sixty-six percent of all Feeding America client households have annual household incomes at or beneath the poverty line. Racially, 40 percent are White, 38 percent are African-American, 17 percent are Hispanic, 5 percent are American Indian or Alaskan Native, 0.5 percent are native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 1.0 percent are Asian. The Feeding America network secures and distributes nearly 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually and their efforts support approximately 63,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 70,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes.
Show Your Helping Hand is a national hunger relief campaign created by Hamburger Helper in partnership with Beyoncé and her Survivor Foundation. The goal is to help Feeding America deliver more than 3.5 million meals to local food banks. Anyone can get involved by submitting codes on specially marked boxes of Hamburger Helper, donating groceries at Beyoncé’s concerts in cities across the U.S., or by donating directly to Feeding America.
Codes must be entered no later than December 31, 2010. They have already funded the distribution of 2.8 million meals. Codes entered online, will help Feeding America deliver up to 700,000 more meals to local food banks.
The city of Houston was very proud to welcome home the Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and actress Beyoncé in the most heavily anticipated concert event of 2009. Beyoncé performed songs from her latest international #1 chart-topping album, I AM...SASHA FIERCE. The “I AM...” world tour production showcased the music and film superstar like you’ve never seen her before.
Beyoncé’s extraordinary all-female band, The Sugamamas joined her again on this tour to perform musical hits, classics, and surprises in a newly-created high-tech state-of-the-art concert environment at the Toyota Center. “Each one of us has the power to make a difference in our communities, so I’d like to encourage all of my fans in my hometown to get involved in the Show Your Helping Hand™ campaign,” said Beyoncé. “Through my Survivor Foundation, I’ve been committed to helping families get back on their feet during difficult times, and now, more than ever, people are in need of our help. Please join me in helping Feeding America deliver millions of meals to local food banks.”
Prior to the concert, Beyoncé asked all her fans to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to Feeding America in collaboration with Houston’s community leader, Pastor Rudy Rasmus of St. John’s Downtown Church, C.E.O/President of Houston Food Bank Mr. Brian Greene, and U.S Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee. Donations of non-perishable food items were dropped off at the Beyoncé Experience Tent prior to her concert, located at the Toyota Center.
The Experience Tent consisted of the dress that Beyoncé wore for the campaign and a timeline of Beyoncé’s career. Fans who donated or who desired to be a part of this event were able to take photos prior to the concert and were able to go online and participate in the campaign and experience Beyoncé live in concert.
Sixty-six percent of all Feeding America client households have annual household incomes at or beneath the poverty line. Racially, 40 percent are White, 38 percent are African-American, 17 percent are Hispanic, 5 percent are American Indian or Alaskan Native, 0.5 percent are native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 1.0 percent are Asian. The Feeding America network secures and distributes nearly 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually and their efforts support approximately 63,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 70,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes.
Show Your Helping Hand is a national hunger relief campaign created by Hamburger Helper in partnership with Beyoncé and her Survivor Foundation. The goal is to help Feeding America deliver more than 3.5 million meals to local food banks. Anyone can get involved by submitting codes on specially marked boxes of Hamburger Helper, donating groceries at Beyoncé’s concerts in cities across the U.S., or by donating directly to Feeding America.
Codes must be entered no later than December 31, 2010. They have already funded the distribution of 2.8 million meals. Codes entered online, will help Feeding America deliver up to 700,000 more meals to local food banks.
The city of Houston was very proud to welcome home the Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter and actress Beyoncé in the most heavily anticipated concert event of 2009. Beyoncé performed songs from her latest international #1 chart-topping album, I AM...SASHA FIERCE. The “I AM...” world tour production showcased the music and film superstar like you’ve never seen her before.
Beyoncé’s extraordinary all-female band, The Sugamamas joined her again on this tour to perform musical hits, classics, and surprises in a newly-created high-tech state-of-the-art concert environment at the Toyota Center. “Each one of us has the power to make a difference in our communities, so I’d like to encourage all of my fans in my hometown to get involved in the Show Your Helping Hand™ campaign,” said Beyoncé. “Through my Survivor Foundation, I’ve been committed to helping families get back on their feet during difficult times, and now, more than ever, people are in need of our help. Please join me in helping Feeding America deliver millions of meals to local food banks.”
Prior to the concert, Beyoncé asked all her fans to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to Feeding America in collaboration with Houston’s community leader, Pastor Rudy Rasmus of St. John’s Downtown Church, C.E.O/President of Houston Food Bank Mr. Brian Greene, and U.S Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee. Donations of non-perishable food items were dropped off at the Beyoncé Experience Tent prior to her concert, located at the Toyota Center.
The Experience Tent consisted of the dress that Beyoncé wore for the campaign and a timeline of Beyoncé’s career. Fans who donated or who desired to be a part of this event were able to take photos prior to the concert and were able to go online and participate in the campaign and experience Beyoncé live in concert.