OKLAHOMA CITY (JULY 23, 2020) – Feed the Children, a leading hunger relief organization, is excited to announce Emanne Beasha as its first-ever youth ambassador. The vibrant 11-year-old was a top 10 finalist in season 14 of ‘America’s Got Talent.’
“We couldn’t be more pleased to have the compassionate, energetic, talented, and delightful Emanne Beasha joining us in our fight against hunger,” said Travis Arnold, president and CEO of Feed the Children.
The relationship between Beasha and Feed the Children is a natural fit. Since she was a small child, music has provided Beasha with the opportunity to travel the world. It is through her travels that the young performer has gained an awareness of children who live in poverty and are hungry. “Kids shouldn’t have to go to bed hungry,” Emanne Beasha said. “When I found out that an organization existed with the purpose of feeding hungry kids, I knew I had to help them. I believe that if I can share the story of hunger to my fans, they’ll feel what I felt, and they’ll want to help kids get what they need to grow healthy and strong.”
The talented Beasha has already shown her fans she is committed to helping struggling children. This past Feb., she participated in a gala to support children in Florida who are facing poverty, homelessness, drug addiction, child abuse and neglect. Then in the spring, as the world went into quarantine to help slow the spread of COVID-19, she offered love, comfort and encouragement to mothers through a virtual Mother’s Day Serenade on social media.
“When our daughter learned that as many as one in four children in the U.S. is now food insecure due to the current economic crisis, she was compelled to take action,” said Megan Beasha. “The Mother’s Day Serenade with Feed the Children was a great starting place. We can’t wait to keep building on it through her new appointment as a Youth Ambassador.”
According to a recent Brookings study, nearly 20 percent of mothers with children under 12 reported that since the pandemic started, “the children in my household were not eating enough because we just couldn’t afford enough food.” The study also found that food insecurity in households with children under 18 has increased by about 130 percent from 2018 to today. The loss of jobs and income have not only wreaked havoc for the most vulnerable, but also millions of others across the country. With unemployment rates still above 11 percent, those who have been laid off are left wondering how to survive. And now, with the summer winding down and school about to start, the economic hardships school supplies and new clothes will bring will only serve to exacerbate the problem of hunger.
The global organization will continue its work with community partners including schools, churches and other non-profits across the United States to make sure food continues to reach food-insecure families as part of its work to stand in the gap as the fallout from the pandemic rages on. To learn more, visit www.feedthechildren.org/youthambassador.
About Feed the Children
At Feed the Children, we feed hungry kids. We envision a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. and internationally, we are dedicated to helping families and communities achieve stable lives and to reducing the need for help tomorrow, while providing food and resources to help them today. We distribute product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, we provide support for teachers and students, and we mobilize resources quickly to aid recovery efforts when natural disasters strike. Internationally, we manage child-focused community development programs in 10 countries. We welcome partnerships because we know our work would not be possible without collaborative relationships. Every dollar given goes seven times as far to provide food, hope, dignity and comfort.
For more information, visit www.feedthechildren.org