Education Today: Fueling Up For The Holidays

By Sharlonda Buckman, CEO, Detroit Parent Network

During the holidays it can feel like there's too much food around. A lot of it is very tempting and not particularly healthy. Enjoying the holidays (and surviving winter) can depend on how much we allow ourselves to partake in special treats -- food or otherwise. And while most of us are blessed with abundance, there are far too many of us in the Detroit region who don't have access to healthy or enough food. Young children are particularly susceptible to hunger or malnutrition in low-income households and this can affect their lifetime development and potential. That's why it's so important to ensure that all of us have food security, all year long.

Here are ways you can help ensure that Detroit families with children have enough to eat this month and in 2016. Please consider donating your time or treasure to help others; and, Detroit Parent Network also welcomes your donations!

Forgotten Harvest rescues healthy food and distributes it to people in need. Their trucks cover 2,000 miles a day to reach every corner of our region. And Detroit Parent Network partners with Gleaners Food Bank who fights hunger in southeastern Michigan. Gleaners provides millions of pounds of donated and purchased food to people in need. Keep an eye out for food distributions at your child's school or contact Detroit Parent Network to find out when and where the coming distributions will take place.

Your church, workplace, gym, barber shop, salon may have a holiday giving program. Consider starting a food drive and instead of collecting food items you're trying to get rid of, include items that you would like to have. Sharing the bounty of the season is what it's all about. From the Detroit Parent Network to you, happy holidays!

Find your people at Detroit Parent Network and join today! You can gain access to trainings, workshops, and parent support groups, among many other benefits. Find out more at http://www.detroitparentnetwork.org/ or on Facebook and Twitter (@DPNdetroit).

"Education Today" is a partnership between WWJ Newsradio 950 and Oakland Community College to benefit the community.