New York, NY – September 30, 2012 – The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. today announced that its award-winning Kids in the Kitchen program has been chosen by Kashi, the premier natural food and lifestyle company, to be a featured Kashi REAL PROJECT partner on 1.8 million Cinnamon Harvest boxes.

In the promotion, which will run starting in 2013, information about Kids in the Kitchen, The Junior League’s seven-year-old childhood obesity awareness and prevention program, will appear on breakfast tables all across United States. Coming just after September’s Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and before March's National Nutrition Month, it will focus attention on the commitment of more than 200 Junior Leagues to the Kids in the Kitchen program, now in its 7th year.

There’s no doubt that childhood obesity is a major problem. According to the National Heart Association, about one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese, nearly triple the rate in 1963.

“What makes Kids in the Kitchen unique is that it avoids a one-size-fits-all approach to fighting childhood obesity,” said Susan Danish, Executive Director of AJLI. “Each program is as individual as the League that sponsors it and the community in which it operates. But if there is a single common denominator it is to generate awareness about the devastating effects of childhood obesity and the long-term value in eating healthy, nutritious foods. Kashi is a great partner for us in this important initiative!”

AJLI has already been the recipient of a recipient of a $80,000 award from Kashi as part of The Kashi REAL Project™, an initiative designed to raise awareness of the Real Food Deficit and amplify the work of nonprofit organizations like The Junior League that are working to keep “real food” in the minds and hands of communities throughout the country. 

“What is wonderful about the work done by thousands of Kids in the Kitchen volunteers every year is that it demonstrates what can happen when communities get together to create solutions that address their specific needs, involving parents, schools and other organizations to get the job done.” Information about the Kids in the Kitchen program can be found on its newly relaunched website, which, for the first time, allows online contributions to be made.

About The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc.
Founded in 1901 by New Yorker and social activism pioneer, Mary Harriman, the Junior Leagues are charitable nonprofit organizations of women, developed as civic leaders, creating demonstrable community impact.

Today, The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) is comprised of more than 155,000 women in 293 Junior Leagues throughout Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States. Together, they constitute one of the largest, most effective volunteer organizations in the world.

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