P. Allen Smith was special guest at fundraiser in Little Rock

Acclaimed garden designer and lifestyle expert P. Allen Smith was the Special Guest and speaker at a dinner to benefit Share Our Strength's Arkansas No Kid Hungry. The event took place last night and was hosted by The Oxford American Dinner in downtown Little Rock. 

Chef and event chair Donnie Ferneau of Rocket Twenty One convened a line-up of local and visiting chefs committed to Share Our Strength’s vision of ending childhood hunger.  Visiting chefs John Currence of City Grocery, Oxford, MS is a past contestant on Top Chef Masters; Marcel Vigneron of Modern Global Tasting Inc. in Los Angeles, CA and also a past Top Chef All Stars contestant will also be a part of the evening. Proceeds from this event will benefit work to ensure that no child grows up hungry in Arkansas.

"Participating restaurants and chefs tell us that Dine Out For No Kid Hungry is good for their business as well as their community, and that it's a cause their customers and employees understand and embrace. This is why we believe the program has such tremendous growth potential and why the support of the National Restaurant Association and its members is so absolutely critical" said Share Our Strength Co-Founder Debbie Shore.

In 2010, Share Our Strength partnered with the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance (AHRA), and Governor Mike Beebe to end childhood hunger in Arkansas by increasing participation in the School Breakfast, Summer Meals, At Risk Afterschool Meals, SNAP and WIC programs in Arkansas.  The partnership is also focused on expanding involvement in Cooking Matters, a nutrition education program that empowers families with the skills, resources and confidence to prepare healthy and affordable meals. 

"The strategy to end childhood hunger is based on closing the gaps between existing public and private programs and the families who need them," said Smith. "In Arkansas, these programs are under-utilized, keeping kids from getting three nutritious meals a day. This campaign will identify and close gaps, making sure that no child in Arkansas grows up hungry."

"Hungry children have a tougher time learning, meaning that hunger threatens our biggest obligation as a state: the education of our children," Governor Beebe said. "If every child is going to have the opportunity to succeed, we must make sure that their most basic needs are met."

Currently, Arkansas has the highest rate of childhood food insecurity in the nation and 25% of children live below the poverty line. Yet, only 54% of low-income students in the state eat breakfast at school for every 100 who participate in the school lunch program and only about 11% of low-income students participate in summer nutrition programs. This campaign has set a number of goals to increase participation in programs that help reach Arkansas children in need.

Governor Beebe has named the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance as the leading organization in the state within the partnership. It will work with Share Our Strength, the state Departments of Education, Human Resources, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other key public and private organizations across the state to bridge the gaps.

Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign is a national effort to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. Share Our Strength works with state, community and private sector leaders across the country to connect families facing hunger with the programs that can help them.

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About P. Allen Smith

P. Allen Smith is an award-winning designer, gardening and lifestyle expert and host of two public television programs, P. Allen Smith's Garden Home, P. Allen Smith’s Garden to Table and the syndicated 30-minute show P. Allen Smith Gardens. Smith is one of America's most recognized and respected design experts, providing ideas and inspiration through multiple media venues. He is the author of the best-selling Garden Home series of books published by Clarkson Potter/Random House, including Bringing the Garden Indoors: Container, Crafts and Bouquets for Every Room and Seasonal Recipes from the Garden. Allen is also very active on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Allen’s Blog and YouTube as well as on the new eHow Home channel. His design and lifestyle advice is featured in several national magazines. Learn more at http://www.pallensmith.com.

About the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance

The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance (AHRA) is a non-profit collaborative network of hunger relief organizations throughout Arkansas. We work with local, state and federal organizations to keep food on the tables of our fellow Arkansans who need it most. The Alliance and its members provided more than 25 million pounds of food to hungry Arkansans in 2009. The Alliance was formed in 2004 with 6 founding members. The organization includes over 100 different members including food bank members, local hunger relief agencies, state level hunger programs and hunger advocates from around the state that work daily to reduce hunger in Arkansas.