MCA of the USA (Y-USA) announced the winners of their national Child Hunger is No Fairytale youth art competition that called on children and teens to use their imaginations to depict hunger scenes from classic fairytales. Kara G., Fleetwood, 16, was named one of the five winners.
The competition aimed to raise awareness about the epidemic of child hunger and highlight the importance of good nutrition paired with enrichment. Judges for the competition included chef Marcus Samuelsson, cookbook author Leanne Brown, Kimberly O’Shields with Partnership for a Healthier America, Jennifer Day-Burget with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Y-USA President and CEO Kevin Washington.
The Y received more than 1,300 entries from around the country and narrowed the submissions down to 25 semifinalists based on originality, composition and adherence to contest theme and rules. The judges panel then selected their favorites, helping to determine the five winners.
In addition to having their artwork featured in an online gallery and as part of the Y’s Summer Food Program anti-hunger campaign, each winner will receive a $500 Walmart gift card, plus a $500 donation to their local YMCA, thanks to the support of the Walmart Foundation.
“I’m so honored to be working with the Y again to raise awareness about child hunger,” said Leanne Brown. “So much of how we learn about the world, build our viewpoints, and come to understand others is through listening to, and telling stories. The families participating in this contest deepened their understanding of child hunger and its impact. With understanding comes action.”
The Y’s Summer Food Program is part of a year-round effort to address child hunger. When the school year ends, millions of kids and teens who rely on free and reduced lunch plans are at an increased risk of going hungry. The Y’s Summer Food Program helps fill the gap, with more than 1,100 locations for kids and teens that provide nutritious meals and snacks, paired with fun learning activities to keep children healthy, active and well-nourished all summer long. In summer 2017, the Y served more than 250,000 kids nearly 7 million meals and snacks at nearly 2,000 sites across the country.
“As someone who was born in Ethiopia, I only ever thought about child hunger in Africa. Now that I live in the U.S., I realize child hunger exists here too, and understand the importance of raising awareness for it,” said celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. “Competitions like the YMCA’s Child Hunger is No Fairytale and programs like the Y’s Summer Food Program are so important because they aim to end child hunger once and for all, and I’m happy to play a part.”
For more information on the YMCA and to view the winning entries, please visit www.TheYFeedsKids.org.
