Cancer-fighting 13-year-old raises 13,000 pounds of food for the poor

Tuesday, October 18, 2016 by: Daniel Barker
Tags: Make-a-Wish, food drive, Emma Allred

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(NaturalNews) A 13-year-old teen fighting a rare type of cancer has provided an inspiring example by turning her wish from the Make-a-Wish Foundation into a food drive for needy people.

Emma Allred's selfless generosity resulted in the donation of more than 13,000 pounds of food at a charity event she organized with the help of the Make-a-Wish Foundation's Idaho staff.

The event, called "Emma's Wish Day," took place on October 1 in a park in Emma's hometown of Twin Falls, Idaho.

Hundreds of individuals, along with local companies, organizations and city agencies contributed 13,148 pounds of food during the event, which Emma attended with her family.

'The Lord told me to feed the homeless'

Before deciding how to spend her wish, Emma decided to seek guidance from above.

"I was unsure what I wanted to do," she told ABC News, "so I prayed and asked the Lord and he told me to feed the homeless."

Emma wanted her wish to involve the community, so she turned to volunteers and the Make-a-Wish Foundation to create the event.

"I really thought it was awesome what was going on," said Emma. "It really exceeded my expectations."

Emma was diagnosed at the age of 10 with a rare form of ovarian cancer. Since then, she has endured three rounds of chemotherapy and is scheduled to undergo a fourth surgery in November.

From ABC News:

"Brenda Vogt, director of program services for Make-A-Wish Idaho, said the chapter grants around 90 wishes each year and that usually just one of those is directed toward helping others as Emma's was.

"'It grew into something none of us had any idea was going to happen,' Vogt told ABC News. 'It was magical, and everyone was just kind of in awe of everything that was happening.'

"Emma's mom, Nina Allred, said she was 'humbled' when Emma first told her what she wanted her wish to be."

13 percent of American households are food insecure

Emma's food drive comes at a time when food insecurity is a major issue in our country. More than 42 million Americans live in food insecure households; 13 million of them are children.

Although the figures are improving, the level of food insecurity in America is still a cause for great concern.

A shocking 13 percent of American households are food insecure, and another 5 percent have "very low" food security, according to Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization.

Despite the fact that Americans waste billions of pounds of food every year, there are still those who go to bed hungry on a regular basis.

Feeding America operates 200 food banks and thousands of food pantries and programs throughout the U.S.

You can learn how to volunteer or make a financial donation to Feeding America by visiting their website.

If you'd like to conduct a food drive, it's best to first contact a local food bank or organization like Feeding America.

In general, non-perishable foods are the easiest to collect and distribute. These include foods such as canned soup, vegetables and fruit, but Feeding America food banks also accept fresh produce, frozen foods, dairy and juice that have not exceeded the expiration date, as well as excess food from promotions, trade shows and seasonal products.

Emma Allred is living proof that an individual can make a big difference in helping to fight hunger in America – even someone who is fighting other serious battles at the same time.

Her example will hopefully inspire others to organize similar events across the country. We can help end hunger in America while also fighting against food waste – a win-win situation all round.

Sources:

ABCNews.go.com

InsideEdition.com

FeedingAmerica.org

FeedingAmerica.org