Sesame Street Tackles Child Hunger, One Muppet At A Time

This is a tough subject for any age. The data on the number of kids that go hungry everyday is staggering. It is hard to swallow in a nation that is so rich, we have so many people that are so poor that they cannot afford food. Thank you Sesame Street!!!

There's a poignant moment right at the top of Sesame Street's new prime-time special, "Growing Hope Against Hunger." Everybody's gathered for a food drive near Hooper's store when, Lily, a new Muppet developed specifically for the show, reveals to Elmo that "sometimes I go with my family to the food pantry." Elmo is clearly jolted by the news. "Elmo never even has to think about where his next meal is coming from," he says.

It's no surprise that Sesame Street is tackling a tough societal issue. The show's been doing it from the start, setting up in New York City and debuting in 1969 with a cast of multicultural characters as friends. It was a time when a lot of Americans thought of the city as crime-ridden and racially divided.

Just in the last couple of years, the Workshop has produced specials about parents losing a job and how children grieve after a parent dies

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