A Glass of Milk a day….

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I will never forget this night in high school when I stayed over at my friend Chelsea’s house. I remember this because I was offered a glass of milk for a snack, then again at dinner, and again before bed. I was in love with spending time at her house. I loved spending time with her because of course she was one of my best friends and because of the milk. HEHE!

I know this sounds crazy but growing up my family didn’t have a lot of money. Of course, we had milk, but it was only for our cereal in the mornings. There were three kids in the house and if we drank milk all the time we would never have any and my mom just couldn’t afford to buy 2 gallons a day. So yes, I will forever remember that first time I slept over at Chelsea’s house. But even more now that I’m an adult and have children of my own. I want my kids to drink as much milk as they want and at one point I was buying 2 gallons every 3 days. You see, Milk has 9 essential nutrients, including 8 grams of high-quality protein in one 8 ounce serving. So yes, I do want my children to drink milk and to drink it up.

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My husband grew up in a house where there were five kids. And they were always on the go. I remember his mother telling me that they used to go through 15 gallons of milk a week! True story, they were drinking milk so often they would have the milk delivery truck make a stop at the house because of how much milk they were going through! He would stop off every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to make a delivery.

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Even though we didn’t have much growing up, we still had milk to put in our cereal. It is crazy to think that there are people, in America, that will go without milk for weeks at a time. Did you know that more than 22 MILLION children may not have milk this summer? Do we ever stop and think what happens to the children who have free or reduced-price meals at school during the summer? But fret not. There are ways that you can help. You can help feed a child in your community this summer with a small donation at Milklife.com/give. A donation as little as $5.00 can deliver a highly desired and nutrient-rich gallon of fresh milk to children who need it the most.

I also know that there are many programs like the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program that help to deliver meals when school is not in session. The National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program do not reach children during the summer months. That’s why food banks play an even more critical role in helping children have access to nutritious foods when school is out.

So as you sit down tomorrow morning with your children and pour them a big glass of milk, remember to take 5 minutes out of your day to check out Milklife.com/give and see how you can help!

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