This time of year around the U.S. often means a goodbye to summer and a hello to school for over 54 million students in our families and communities. New friends, afterschool activities, and even a little homework are staples of this time of year.

However, “back-to-school” for millions of students living in poverty worldwide is not always a celebratory time. Over 78 million children globally cannot attend school because of poverty, because instead of going to school to learn, they were working, begging, or scavenging – doing whatever they could to have enough to eat.  And many children that do attend school, do so on an empty stomach, unable to focus.

This school year, you can be the reason a child walks into class nourished, ready to learn, and full of hope. For just $25.20, you can provide meals for one child for an entire school year - turning an empty stomach into a chance to focus, grow, and dream.

Will you step into this story today and help open the classroom door for a hungry child? Your gift does more than provide food - it tells a child, “You matter, and your future is worth investing in.”

"When the meals were brought to the school, all of us became very active and had much more interest in learning. I feel happy, and nothing is wrong with me again. I now have hope for the future. I would like to become a doctor [or] a lawyer. Either way, I want to use my education to help my family and my community.”