A Mom’s Halloween Reflection: Access is needed to keep kids safe.
FOODiversity
Dedicated to lessening the burden of food insecurity for those with food allergy or celiac disease
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
A Mom’s Halloween Reflection
Access is needed to keep kids safe.
(Mooresville, NC — October 30, 2022) Halloween at the Pake house – with a child with food allergies - always went the same: my husband and I would spill out our son’s big plastic pumpkin and separate the candy into “safe” and “unsafe” piles. Then, our son received a surprise in exchange for the off-limits candy.
The number of American children who experience food allergies has been growing about four times faster than the population for at least 20 years. Now, on average, two students in every elementary classroom have a food allergy; more than two students per classroom have food restrictions, if you include food intolerances and GI disorders in the count.
As more and more families deal with this challenge, creative initiatives abound to help families manage. Teal pumpkins adorn front porches to indicate that non-food treats are available for trick-or-treaters. A visit from “Switch Witch” puts a name to our family’s tradition.
FOODiversity aims to enable all children to enjoy a safe Halloween.
Every parent’s goals are preventing harm and avoiding danger for their child(ren). Many lower-income parents lack the support and health education needed. Without access, safety and positive health outcomes are far from these families' realities.
What if…
- a Mom does not know how to decipher an ingredients list?
- a caregiver does not know that a child’s stomach ache after eating gluten or dairy is actually intestinal damage due to the ingested food?
- a family's only transportation is the bus or a shared vehicle? Limited resources (e.g. financial, transportation, time) heighten the struggle, and the neighborhood convenience store is the only source for groceries?
- a Dad must choose between paying for rent, utilities, medicine or food?
FOODiversity answers the call by raising awareness, providing educational and financial support, and increasing access.
Please join FOODiversity in the fight to end hunger and prevent medical emergencies. FOODiversity.org/donate/
FOODiversity is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; all donations further the vision and are fully tax-deductible. EIN 86-2607349
Founded in 2020, FOODiversity is headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, and serves clients across the country. The 501(c) (3) nonprofit also collaborates with dedicated partners to serve populations worldwide. Established to lessen the burden of food insecurity for individuals and families with food allergy, celiac disease, GI disorders or other food intolerances, FOODiversity is currently led by Wendy Gordon Pake. The FOODiversity mission is to prevent hunger, medical emergencies, and hospitalizations by raising awareness, providing educational and financial support, and increasing access.
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