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No Kid Hungry’s Jill Davis
No Kid Hungry — an extension of Share Our Strength — has been working for decades to help end childhood hunger. As a partner of many major brands, shopping you had already planned on doing at places like Williams-Sonoma, Shake Shack and Walmart may have benefited No Kid Hungry without you knowing. In 2009, Share Our Strength’s Dine Out For No Kid Hungry engaged 3,900 restaurants, leading to $575,000 being raised in the campaign’s first year. Just a few years later in 2010, Share Our Strength had reported $24.8 million in revenue through its fundraising platforms, donations, and dozens of corporate sponsorships.
This summer, No Kid Hungry launched a partnership with Williams-Sonoma in which top celebrities designed limited-edition spatulas. Williams-Sonoma will donate 30% of the retail price from each spatula purchased to No Kid Hungry PLUS an additional $5,000 on behalf of the designer whose spatula sells out first. Three of the participating celebrities offered quotes to Downtown about this partnership:
– Chrissy Teigen: “My spatula design is symbolic for the most important meal of the day: Breakfast! Everybody deserves a bright start to their day so let’s support No Kid Hungry and work together to end childhood hunger in America.”
– Ayesha Curry – “Balanced eating is so important to my family. I started working with No Kid Hungry because making sure that families and children have access to nutritious and affordable food is a cause I care deeply about. With my Williams-Sonoma spatulas, it’s ‘thyme to cook,’ and it’s thyme to make a change!”
– Danica Patrick – “I was a part of the Williams-Sonoma ‘Tools for Change’ program last year and I’m so honored to be a part of it again. The spatulas are all really cute and I had a lot of fun designing mine. They’re such useful tools that people can use every day and it’s great that they allow us all to cook in support of a great cause like No Kid Hungry.”
Chrissy Teigen
Jill Davis, Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships at Share Our Strength, spoke to Downtown at length about her involvement with No Kid Hungry. Besides www.nokidhungry.org, the organization can be followed on Twitter and Instagram.
Where did the idea for these wonderful spatulas come from?
Jill Davis: We are so proud to partner with an innovative and creative partner like Williams-Sonoma. The spatula concept came from discussions about creating unique ways for people who love to cook to make a difference in work to end childhood hunger in America. The spatulas are fun additions to every kitchen and make great gifts for aspiring young chefs! 30 percent of the proceeds of each spatula supports No Kid Hungry’s work to feed kids in need.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve made with one of the spatulas? Or at least plan to?
JD: We have some amazing bakers on our team. Every month we hold a staff baking contest and I’ve seen — and tasted — some pretty fantastic dishes, many of which were baked with the Williams-Sonoma spatulas. I will definitely be using a spatula for my next entry!
The name of your organization makes it clear about what your mission is, but what can you tell me about how it makes that happen?
JD: One in five kids in the U.S. struggles with hunger. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger in this country by connecting kids in need to programs like school breakfast and summer meals, and teaching low-income families to cook healthy, affordable foods. We partner with local organizations around the country to generate the will and skill to help communities feed children in need every day of the year.
Chrissy Teigen’s spatula for No Kid Hungry
Do you have a No Kid Hungry accomplishment that you’re proudest of?
JD: Two years ago, we announced our ambitious goal of adding one million kids to the breakfast program by 2016 — and we did it. That means one million more kids have the food they need to focus on their school day. It means one million more tests aced, one million more hands raised ready with the answer, and one million more math problems solved. We are so proud of this accomplishment and we couldn’t have done it without our amazing partners like Williams-Sonoma.
I know No Kid Hungry also recently partnered with Shake Shack. What else is coming up for No Kid Hungry?
JD: No Kid Hungry has actually been working with Shake Shack for five years. The restaurant’s Great American Shake Sale has raised over $1 million in support of our work. In addition to Shake Shack, every September No Kid Hungry partners with thousands of restaurants across the country to support our work to end childhood hunger in America. Individuals can dine out all month long and help kids in need. Visit NoKidHungry.org for details.
When not busy with work, how do you like to spend your free time?
JD: There are so many incredible restaurants in D.C. I love dining out and trying new places, especially if I can support some of No Kid Hungry’s great chef champions.
Finally, Jill, any last words for the kids?
JD: Young leaders play a big role in our work. Kids and teens can help end childhood hunger by joining Generation No Kid Hungry, our youth-focused supporter network. Learn more at generationnokidhungry.org.