10-Year-Old Author From Howard County Aims To Fight Hunger Among Kids

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A 10-year-old Howard County author knows the importance of good food. She also knows that not everyone has access to a healthy, delicious meal every day.

So Julia Barnes, a fifth-grader at Rockburn Elementary, has launched a campaign to help kids in America facing hunger. According to No Kid Hungry, one in eight kids in the United States are living with hunger, WBAL reports, and Barnes wants to raise $1,000 to benefit No Kid Hungry through the sale of her second book "The Best Chef." No Kid Hungry has teamed up with Barnes and will use the money from the sale of her book to buy 10,000 meals for kids.

"Last year, kids at my school had free meals from the school which was awesome. But now they are reduced priced meals, and there are a couple of people who have problems with food, so I want to help those people," Barnes said.

Barnes used the proceeds from her first published book to help build a well in Africa. Learn how you can help Barnes and her mission at WBAL.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness of hunger in our local communities, a persistent national problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that 1 in 8 people face hunger. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.