For many children, summer is the toughest time of year

What Save the Children is doing to reach children in crisis [Save the Children]( Like so many of us, summer reminds me of some of my best childhood memories – sprinklers in the backyard, popsicles with friends and evenings catching fireflies in jars. But for the millions of children facing inequality, conflict, hunger and other hardships, summer isn’t filled with the joyful slowness of full bellies and hearts, but the painful isolation of poverty. Our Summer Matching Gift Challenge will launch later this month, where we’ll aim to reach our $200,000 fundraising goal. Ahead of the campaign launch, today I wanted to share a look at some of the pressing issues making this summer unfair for so many children – and how your support can make a difference for them: [Climate change: Nearly 710 million children live in countries at the highest risk of suffering the impacts of the climate crisis. That means they face the worst effects of destructive weather events and hotter shortages, infectious disease, limited access to education, displacement and more.]( [Conflict: 1 in 6 of the world's children live in conflict zones around the world – with more children being killed in the ongoing conflict in Gaza than in 4 years of war globally. These children's lives are under constant threat due to violence, hunger and a lack of critical medical supplies. All of them have witnessed horrors no child should ever have to see.]( [Poverty: 1.2 billion children worldwide are living in extreme poverty, leaving them without access to basic necessities like food, water, shelter, medical care or education. Without these crucial essentials, children face deficits that aren't easy to overcome and could miss out on the futures they deserve.]( [Child marriage: About 40 million girls worldwide are currently in a forced marriage or union. This robs them of their education, replacing lessons learned in the classroom with adult responsibilities, including forced pregnancy. Without our help, an estimated 150 million girls will be married in the next decade.]( [Child labor: There are currently 152 million children engaged in child labor around the world. For these children, attending school often gets put on the back burner as they're forced to prioritize providing for their families.]( During these especially difficult months, your support is particularly important. The Summer Matching Gift Challenge provides us with the resources to reach children going through the worst of hunger, poverty, conflict, climate crises and other hardships – not just this summer, but year-round. This crucial fundraising goal will help our teams provide food, water, medical care and education for children around the world in urgent need – so please, keep an eye out for an important message in the coming weeks. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our Summer Matching Gift Challenge and your continued dedication to children. Michelle Sharnick Save the Children [Save the Children]( [DONATE NOW]( [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact]( [Unsubscribe]( © 2024 Save the Children Federation, Inc. 501 Kings Highway East, Suite 400 Fairfield, CT 06825 1-800-728-3843 Photo: Sacha Myers, Claire Dorbad, Hasan Iqbal // Save the Children