When I was growing up , I had everything I needed . My wonderful parents , Dorothy and Lloyd , made sure we had nutritious food and they taught us where food came from . I have been blessed in many ways , and my wife , Sue , and I have been fortunate enough to pass that on to our own four daughters . We 've never had to worry about how we 'd feed our family . Other families in America are not as fortunate as I have been . Few Americans realize that the majority of low-income children in this country get most of their nutrition at school . Whether it 's the free breakfast , reduced-priced lunch or after-school snacks , these federally funded meal programs provide a critical safety net for families struggling to put food on the table . However , there is a huge gap in the number of children who could be getting these meals and the number actually accessing them . For instance , many children are not getting the food they need in the summer . When school is out , many children lose their primary source of nutrition . Of the 20 million children who get lunch at school during the regular school year , only 1 in 7 are getting free meals in the summertime . The breakfast statistics are sobering as well . Of the same 20 million children who get lunch at school , only 10.5 million kids are eating school breakfast . That kind of gap is unacceptable . Kids who come to school hungry get sick more frequently . They have more trouble concentrating on their schoolwork and struggle with their studies . This has a huge effect on their potential for success later in life , and that 's not good for our country . As my good friend ( and founder of Share Our Strength ) Bill Shore always says , we ca n't have a strong America with weak kids . That 's where the No Kid Hungry campaign works so beautifully . It connects kids to the healthy food they need every day , where they live , learn and play . This happens through partnerships with schools , mayors , state governors , political leaders , nonprofit organizations , corporations , chefs , celebrities such as me and with people like you . The campaign works to come up with innovative ways to bridge this gap . For example , moving school breakfast out of the cafeteria and into the classroom -- where everyone eats together -- means more kids start the day with a healthy meal . Breakfast after the bell programs have already been championed in cities such as Baltimore and Los Angeles , and they 're working really well . There is good news for kids who need meals this summer , too . The Summer Food Service Program -- a federally funded program -- provides free meals for people 18 and younger in cities all across America . This year , a national texting program has been put in place to help connect even more kids to meals . And No Kid Hungry 's Cooking Matters program ensures kids are getting healthy meals at home by empowering low-income families with the skills to shop smarter , use nutrition information and cook delicious , affordable meals . Our children are our future , and it 's up to me -- and to all of us -- to make sure we prepare them to be productive citizens and thrive in our communities . Ensuring our kids have the nutritious food they need is the very first step to getting them there . Join me in making No Kid Hungry a reality .
Jeff Bridges is the national spokesperson for the `` No Kid Hungry '' Campaign . No Kid Hungry aims to end childhood hunger in America . Campaign also provides free meals for kids 18 and younger throughout the summer . Comment: