Every morning before school, 7th-grader Cole Yacono’s parents remind him to “serve others and go be amazing in the world.”
As a kid and the son of a Stop Hunger Now staff member, he knows how important good nutrition and education are. And because of his parents, Cole also knows he has a chance to help other kids who suffer from hunger.
In 2012, 66 million primary school-age children in the developing world, like Samarah, a 7th grader in Haiti, attended class hungry (WEP 2012). Samarah and her classmates now receive Stop Hunger Now meals at school. “Without food I would be starving and my grades would be lower,” Samarah said. “Most of us rely on the food served at school to survive; this is the only meal we get for the day. I hope the feeding program will continue.”
Children like Samarah are why Cole decided to host his own meal packaging event in November. Cole’s goal is to package 100,000 meals for children around the world who depend on school feeding programs. “If kids need education, they need food to fuel them,” Cole said. That’s why he’s helping children he may never meet.
Cole’s mom said it is difficult to be 13 years old and globally minded, but Cole is undaunted. Because of his parents’ encouragement, he knows he has a voice and can make a difference in other kids’ lives.
You can donate to or volunteer at Cole’s meal packaging event on November 7th, 2015 by visiting the Share the Love page.