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WANDA's Give 8/28 Campaign: Nourishing Tomorrow's Leaders

WANDA Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture has officially kicked off its transformative initiative known as the Give 8/28 campaign. Launched on August 4, 2026, this effort marks a significant stride towards shaping a brighter future for children’s nutrition and education. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, WANDA invites individuals to contribute to a worthy cause that will help cultivate the next generation of healthy eaters, readers, and leaders.

Campaign Purpose and Goals

The essence of the campaign revolves around the pivotal question: what if one simple gift could empower a child to cultivate a healthier relationship with food? Designed to be more than just a fundraising effort, the Give 8/28 initiative aims to foster aspiring nutritionists, farmers, chefs, and researchers. The overarching goal is to raise $28,000 by August 28, coinciding with the national day of giving for Black-led nonprofits celebrated during Black Philanthropy Month.

By becoming a Founding Gardener, donors can plant the seeds for women and girls to thrive in the fields of nutrition and agriculture where they naturally belong. A portion of the raised funds will support WANDA's World, a digital platform designed for kids that aims to promote well-being through edutainment. Additionally, contributions will establish opportunities for young scholars through scholarships, mentorship programs, and leadership training in food systems, nutrition, and agriculture.

The Urgent Need for Change

According to a recent analysis from Tufts University, children in the United States are experiencing alarming deficits in their consumption of healthy plant-based foods, with the average serving dropping significantly as they grow. Notably, while children under the age of two consumed an average of 2.7 servings daily, this figure plummets to just 1.8 servings for those aged between two and nineteen. Moreover, the 2022 Census of Agriculture highlighted that Black agricultural producers represent a mere 1.4% of the nation's total, while registered Black dietitians form only 2.6% of the profession—signifying a critical gap in representation that WANDA aims to address.

WANDA's Vision for the Future

As WANDA's founder and CEO, Tambra Raye Stevenson, articulated, the belief behind the campaign is that every child deserves positive role models to aspire to—much like the character Little WANDA, who embodies the hope for future generations. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of providing mothers with the nourishment, community support, and knowledge necessary to help them nourish their families.

The funds collected via the Give 8/28 campaign will not only serve crucial educational purposes but are also destined to fuel mentorship and leadership development for emerging Food Sheroes who can make impactful changes within their communities. Thus far, WANDA has successfully supported 34 women in both the United States and Nigeria in their educational pathways, paving the way for future leaders.

How to Get Involved

Supporters interested in contributing to this life-changing cause can do so by visiting give828.org/story/iamwanda, where they can share the campaign or initiate a peer fundraiser. Additionally, participants are encouraged to engage their employers in potential matching gift programs. By uniting efforts, each contribution can place nourishing stories in children's hands while creating pathways for community-driven, healthier futures.

Through the Give 8/28 campaign, WANDA not only focuses on immediate needs but aims to plant the seeds for transformative change in the perspectives surrounding nutrition, education, and the potential of our children as future leaders—one child at a time.

This initiative encapsulates WANDA's mission of nourishing not just bodies but whole communities, emphasizing that action today can truly shape the leadership of tomorrow.