A local pediatrics office recently held a bake sale to raise money for a child hunger initiative and continues its mission, encourages the community to join in support.

Washington Pediatrics held a bake sale on May 16 at Washington Harbor District Alliance’s Saturday Market, showcasing an array of baked goods to raise money for the initiative No Kid Hungry, a national program operated by Share Our Strength, a nonprofit that works to end child hunger in America, according to its website.

According to Sara Cutler, patient education coordinator at Washington Pediatrics, every dollar raised through the initiative can help a child with up to 10 meals.

“(Raising money for the initiative) is something that we’re going to do ongoing,” Cutler said. “It’s just something the office decided to participate in because it’s just a great initiative to participate in.”

In the United States, one out of every five kids face hunger, equaling more than 16 million. Statewide, more than 780,000 children in North Carolina are at risk of hunger and are not getting the food they need to lead healthy, active lives, and more than 662,000 students in the state participated in the free or reduced-price lunch program during the 2013-2014 school year.

“Our kids aren’t hungry because we lack food or because of a lack of food and nutrition programs,” Cutler said. “Our children are hungry because federal food and nutrition programs that serve children living in poverty and families struggling to make ends meet are frequently underutilized by many of those who are eligible.”

To date, the office has raised around $700 and plans to host more bake sales in the future, Cutler said. No Kid Hungry is one of the first national initiatives that the pediatrics office has participated in, but the office participates in several local programs and partnerships.

Any organization can join the program to help raise money to combat child hunger through forming its own team or organizations and individuals can donate under the Washington Pediatrics team name.

“(The program) is just so worthwhile,” Cutler said. “We always feel there’s never enough we can do to help the community and help kids. That’s our passion, and that’s what we do. It’s almost like an ongoing thing for us to do something to help. We are blessed to live in a town where people are always willing to donate, lend a hand and help their neighbor. It was Albert Einstein who said, ‘Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.’ We have always had a passion for children and feel that one person can make a difference and everyone will try.”

Washington Pediatrics is located at 1206 Brown St., Washington. To donate, visit http://join.nokidhungry.org/goto/WashingtonPediatrics or call the office at 252-946-4134.