The Chattanooga Area Food Bank was able to distribute 3,376 Sack Packs to 422 students for eight weeks of the 2017-18 academic year, thanks to a $10,000 grant from Red Nose Day 2017. Funding provided enabled the Food Bank to address childhood hunger in their 20-county region across Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. "Without access to free and reduced-priced school meals provided during the week, one in four children in our region go hungry over the weekend. Each Sack Pack contained healthy food items to help sustain children through the weekend, ensuring they return to school on Mondays ready to learn and thrive," officials said.
Organized by the public charity Comic Relief Inc., Red Nose Day is on a mission to end child poverty, one nose at a time. Proceeds from the annual campaign, which includes the purchase of red noses and a celebrity-filled telethon on NBC, support Feeding America food banks and other national charities and ensures children in need are safe, healthy and educated. Since its launch in the United Kingdom in 1988, Red Nose Day has raised more than $1 billion across the globe, including $100 million in the United States since 2015.
“The magnitude of the impact Red Nose Day has made in a short amount of time is astounding and powerful. We thank Comic Relief Inc. and Red Nose Day for all they have provided to children in our region,” said Sarah Aligo, director of Development for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank. “This grant ensured 422 local, hungry children received a nutritious Sack Pack and arrived at school ready to learn, grow and thrive. Thank you for your continued support of our fight against childhood hunger in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia.”
Red Nose Day 2018 returns this Thursday on NBC. "You can spread awareness of the campaign by purchasing a red nose at Walgreens, the exclusive retailer of Red Noses, as well as Duane Reade locations nationwide. Photos of the campaign can also be shared using the hashtag #RedNoseDay. Together, we can end child poverty, one nose at a time," officials said.