On Monday, I had the privilege to attend the final day of the Share Our Strength Conference of Leaders. I was invited to attend to be part of a brainstorming session about how to get bloggers more involved with Share Our Strength and build a strong online community. I have been involved with Share Our Strength in the past, and was thrilled to have the opportunity to be more involved.
The Conference…
While I was only able to attend a small portion of the conference, I left feeling inspired and excited about continuing to be a part of the fight against hunger. The passion and excitement that surrounds the organization is undeniable, and was absolutely contagious at the event. I can’t imagine that anyone could have left the conference untouched or uninspired. If you would like to read more about the conference, follow the #nkh (No Kid Hungry) tag on Twitter!
My morning started out with a breakfast “meeting” of sorts, discussing blogging, community, and social media with a very accomplished group of people (I was honored to be invited to sit at their table!). We exchanged lots of ideas about how to build a stronger online community to support the various branches of Share Our Strength and help to end hunger by 2015.
After breakfast, I attended two of the conference sessions. The first session entitled Winning “Share of Heart”: How to Rally Constituents Around a Cause focused on successful partnerships with Share our Strength. Presenters from Weight Watchers, Hickory Farms, and McAlister’s Deli shared their stories about how cause marketing has been a win-win for everyone involved.
The second session I attended was a session with John Haydon entitled OK, I’m on Social Media…Now What?? He covered some of the basics of Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr, providing specific examples of how to successfully promote Share Our Strength’s “remarkable content” – ending childhood hunger in America by 2015. I have been learning about the importance of social media first-hand ever since I started my blog in January, and it was great to gain a new perspective and learn a few new things!
Back to Reality…
Not long after arriving in Washington DC for the conference, I was on a train headed home… Back to reality. The experience got me thinking. So often, conferences and events get us fired up and excited about a cause, but the buzz tends to wear off when we return home and get back into our daily routines. Life gets in the way. So, what can we do to keep up the energy and excitement surrounding Share Our Strength?
I kept thinking about the concept of returning “back to reality” on my four hour trip home on the train. Whether or not we realize it, hunger is a very real issue for all of us. I am fortunate and feel blessed to live in a nice suburban neighborhood, not worrying about where my next meal will come from. I have recently noticed, though, that hunger is very real, and closer than I had realized. Even in my suburban mega-grocery store, I have seen the worry on a mother’s face as she watches the total on the register to see if she can afford the groceries in her cart. Another close friend has gone through a particularly difficult time and, while he tries to hide it, worries about how to make ends meet. Regardless of your personal situation, if you start paying attention, my bet is that you can think of similar personal experiences, as well.
Thinking about heading home – “back to reality” – it occurred to me that the way to keep up the momentum and stay motivated is to make it a part of my daily life – my reality. I started making a list of ways that I can fight hunger in the next few months as a part of my day-to-day activities. From purchasing a few extra canned goods to donate each time I go to the grocery store to making an effort to purchase gifts that “give back” this holiday season, I was able to come up with a lot of simple ways to help end hunger by 2015.
In the weeks to come, I will be sharing more of my reality and my efforts, and I would love to hear your ideas. I definitely don’t have all of the answers, but I think that by sharing and being involved in the discussion, even the smallest changes can make a world of difference.
My Kitchen Addiction Disclosure– Share Our Strength provided me the opportunity to attend the Conference of Leaders at no cost. I do not accept monetary compensation for writing about my experiences. All opinions expressed are my own.
Sounds like the conference was an awesome experience — and I applaud your desire to keep the momentum going.
Definitely a great first step to start the conversation. And so appropriate to return to reality right before Thanksgiving — a holiday filled with gluttony (for some) and wont (for others). Such radical differences on either side.
I think creating that list is a wonderful first step — and I’m thinking I need one of those myself!
It’s so sad to think about all the children who are wondering where their next meal will come from. It’s good to know there are people out there helping to try and stop their hunger. I know personally I donate a lot of my canned and non perishable goods to the local shelters in my area. I might not be able to give a lot but I do what I can.
I admire your dedication to this cause and look forward to reading your ideas about how we can all help.
Sounds like you had a wonderful experience, I didn’t realize you were here in DC.
Natasha – Yes, I was in DC, but for less than 24 hours. :) Next time we’ll have to try to meet up!