Diane Reeder, The Queens Galley Founder, Voted the Nation's Favorite Champion Against Child Hunger

The ConAgra Foods® Foundation, in partnership with Share Our Strength® and Sandra Lee, home and food expert and the national ambassador of Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline® program, is pleased to announce Diane Reeder, founder and executive director of The Queens Galley in Kingston, N.Y., as the nation’s Champion Against Child Hunger. Reeder was selected from a pool of five nominees based on her outstanding work establishing and managing The Queens Galley, a not-for-profit organization providing meals to those in need and taking action to prevent child hunger in America.

"Diane embodies the mission of the ConAgra Foods Foundation by not only providing food and meals to those in need, but also providing them with knowledge and experiences to make healthy, tasty meals – skills that will last a lifetime,” said Chris Kircher, president, ConAgra Foods Foundation. "Diane is someone so deserving of the title, ‘Champion,’ because she’s a leader who is truly helping to create a community of people passionate about ending childhood hunger.”

Reeder’s organization, The Queens Galley, is open for three meals a day, 365 days a year, and serves more than 9,000 meals a month to children and families in need. The Queens Galley also creates and implements programs, including Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline®, that teach children and families how to make nutritious meals on a limited budget. Reeder was selected through an online vote by the ConAgra Foods Foundation on its Champions Against Child Hunger contest Web site (ChampionsAgainstChildHunger.org) and its Facebook fan page (facebook.com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation).

"All of us at The Queens Galley are committed to providing children and families with the food and facts they need to live healthful lives,” said Reeder. "I am humbled and honored to be selected as the Champion Against Child Hunger, and believe that each of the other finalists deserves credit for their amazing efforts as well.”

"Diane Reeder is an inspiration. She overcame adversity of her own and has dedicated her life to helping so many others,” said Patricia Nicklin, managing director of Share Our Strength, a national organization that is ending childhood hunger in America. "She is a Champion who brings such passion and commitment to her work to help ensure no child in America grows up hungry.”

Sandra Lee, the National Ambassador of Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline® program, kicked off the contest in partnership with the ConAgra Foods Foundation and Share Our Strength in November. Operation Frontline® is a groundbreaking chef-led nutrition education program that teaches low-income families how to prepare nutritious foods on a budget.

"I want to extend my sincerest congratulations to Diane on becoming the first Champion Against Child Hunger,” said Sandra Lee. "Based on our own experiences, both Diane and I know how important it is to help families learn how to prepare, affordable, tasty and nutritious meals together.”

As the Champion Against Child Hunger, Reeder will receive the grand prize of a trip to New York City and a cash prize of $1,000, along with a tour of the Food Network and a donation of $5,000 to Share Our Strength, a local food bank or a recognized charitable hunger-relief organization of her choice. Each of the five finalists, including Nancy Pope of Albuquerque, N.M., Tom Ramsey of Austin, Texas, Charlie Kozlesky, Columbus, Ohio, and Eileen Rasnick, Omaha, Neb., will receive a donation of $500 to Share Our Strength or a food bank or hunger-relief organization of their choice, as well as a cash prize of $500 as a reward for their advocacy and passion for ending child hunger.

Collectively, the Champions Against Child Hunger contest finalists received more than 80,000 votes, with each vote equaling a $1 donation from the ConAgra Foods Foundation to Share Our Strength (up to $80,000). Reeder won the vote with more than 32,000 votes cast in her name. Combined with a previous $20,000 commitment from ConAgra Foods for consumer participation during the contest nomination period, ConAgra Foods will donate a total of $100,000 to Share Our Strength.

Consumers can read more about Reeder’s accomplishments, as well as the extraordinary efforts of each of the finalists at on the Champions Against Child Hunger Web site (ChampionsAgainstChildHunger.org) or on the ConAgra Foods Foundation Facebook fan page (facebook.com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation). Consumers can also visit the Foundation’s Facebook fan page to learn more about how to join the community of people who are passionate about fighting child hunger.

About ConAgra Foods Foundation
The ConAgra Foods Foundation, through its Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow platform, is dedicated to raising awareness of the nearly 17 million children in America who are at risk of hunger and don't have enough food to live active, healthful lives. It aggressively pursues sustainable solutions in the fight against child hunger. And the Foundation is committed to building a community of people who are passionate about ensuring that all kids have access to the food and facts they need to eat nutritiously while living balanced lifestyles and succeeding in school and life. ConAgra Foods Foundation invests in national and local partnerships with high-impact, not-for-profit organizations, such as Feeding America, that take an innovative approach to addressing needs in the core areas of hunger and nutrition education. For more information, please visit www.nourishkidstoday.org or www.facebook.com/ConAgraFoodsFoundation. The ConAgra Foods Foundation is funded solely by ConAgra Foods, www.conagrafoods.com.

About Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade
SLSH Enterprises, Inc. is a multi-media publishing company that provides simple solutions for dramatic results in all areas of home life. Company founder and CEO, Sandra Lee, is recognized as an internationally-acclaimed home and food expert. Sandra Lee is Editor-in-Chief of the national magazine, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, host of the top-rated, Emmy-nominated TV show "Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee” and "Sandra’s Money Saving Meals” on Food Network; has 20 books to her credit; is a New York Times best-selling author, and is recipient of the President's Volunteerism Award and the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom. For more information on Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, please visit www.SandraLee.com or www.Facebook.com/SandraLee.

About Share Our Strength
Share Our Strength® is the leading national organization working to make sure no kid in America grows up hungry. By weaving together a net of community groups, activists and food programs, Share Our Strength catches children at risk of hunger and ensures they have nutritious food where they live, learn and play. Working closely with the culinary industry, Share Our Strength creates engaging, pioneering programs like Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation®, the nation's premier culinary benefit; Share Our Strength's Great American Bake Sale®, a national grassroots effort; Share Our Strength's A Tasteful Pursuit®, a touring dinner series; Share Our Strength's Great American Dine Out®, a week-long program involving thousands of restaurants nationwide; and Share Our Strength's Operation Frontline®, a cooking-based nutrition education program. Visit Strength.org and learn more about our goal of ending childhood hunger in America by 2015.