There are many things you can do to help children. Many of the suggestions listed below can be done by volunteering only an hour a week. Whatever you do will make a meaningful contribution to at least one child's life.

1. Know the facts. The first step to ending hunger is to learn about it. As you learn, teach your friends, colleagues, and children. Make and distribute flyers, posters and pamphlets about the problem of hunger.
   
2. Help out at a foodbank to help give food to hungry families.
   
3. Organize a food drive at your office, church, or neighborhood. Collect food and bring it to shelters.
   
4. Raise money by having a talent show, race, or other event, and donate the proceeds to ending hunger organizations.
   
5. Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper about childhood hunger in the United States.
   
6. Have a garage sale for the whole neighborhood and donate the proceeds to a hunger organization.
   
7. Create a "Ending Hunger" program in your community or workplace.
   
8. If you know of a family that is hungry, contact the Lifeline National Hotline at 800-HUNGRY2. They will be able to give you the location of the nearest foodbank or organization that is feeding hungry families in your community.
   
9. Bring books, crayons, notepads, and art supplies to children in homeless shelters.
   
10. Bring a bag of groceries to a homeless shelter.
    
11. Brighten up their holidays. People who live in homeless shelters already feel pretty bad. A kind gesture or gift could make their day. Bring a Christmas stocking/ornament, Hanukkah menorah, or Kwanzaa display.
    
12. Create a "Back to School" day drive. Collect and/or purchase school supplies for children at shelters -- pens, pencils, art supplies, notebooks, backpacks, lunch boxes, and the like -- so they have what they need for their first day of school.
    
13. Have a ball. Bring toys, board games, and cards to a local homeless shelter.
    
14. Volunteer to help a child in a shelter with their reading or math.
    
15. Support an organization that helps homeless and hungry children.
    
16. Brighten up their room by creating decorations -- paper flowers, leaves, snowflakes, raindrops -- depending on the season.
    
17. Bring them art supplies, paper, crayons, and colored markers so they can create their own art to hang.
    
18. Bring in a book of jokes, and volunteer to read them to other children.
    
19. Distribute phone cards to children who want to call loved ones.
    
20. Become a pen pal to a child in the hospital.
    
21. Throw a party for a child who has few visitors.
    
    
22. Become a Big Brother or Big Sister.
    
23. Fight to keep a park drug-free and litter-free.
    
24. Start a neighborhood watch program.
    
25. Organize a neighborhood meeting to discuss the special needs of children in your area.
    
26. Organize a neighborhood clean-up day.
    
27. Start a neighborhood reading group.
    
28. Take in a foster child.
    
29. Help out in a school lunchroom, gym, or playground.
    
30. Be a volunteer teacher's aide or tutor.
    
31. Donate materials to your local school -- books, art supplies, sports equipment, computer equipment, etc.
    
32. Volunteer at a local childcare center.
    
33. Chaperone a field trip for local school children.
    
34. Become active in your PTA.
    
35. Run for your local school board.
    
36. Report child abuse through Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline.
    
37. Volunteer to take calls for a Child Abuse hotline.
    
38. Volunteer to work in a shelter for abused children.
    
39. Become a CASA volunteer. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) volunteers are assigned to research an abuse or neglect case. They make recommendations to the judge to help them make an informed decision.
    
40. Write a letter to your congressman expressing your concern about the foster care system.
    
41. Start a Child Abuse Prevention Program.
    
42. Support a Child Abuse organization.
    
43. Find out who your representatives are and ask them what they're doing to help children in your area.
    
44. Express your concern to your elected leaders about the impact of budget decisions on children.
    
45. Ask candidates running for office what they intend to do for children.
    
46. Write to legislators and ask them to include children's needs in health reform proposals.
    
47. Ask local officials what they intend to do to protect children from environmental hazards.
    
48. Ask elected officials what they will do to ensure a high-quality education for every child.
    
49. Organize a community visit to a city council or other local government meeting to ask them to put a high priority on safe streets and quality schools.
    
50. Plan a visit to the state capitol with your children to help educate them about government.

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