Will you be spending time with your nieces and nephews this weekend, Auntie? If so, here’s a television special you will all want to watch together.

This Sunday, October 9 at 7:00 pm ET/PT, PBS will be airing a one-hour prime-time special called Growing Hope Against Hunger, in which Sesame Street will introduce its newest Muppet, 7-year-old Lily. Lily’s family struggles with food insecurity, something with which an estimated 17 million American children deal every year.

The special, presented to raise awareness of hunger-related issues in the United States and empower families coping with food insecurities, was produced by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street.  It will feature documentary films by Academy Award winning director, Cynthia Wade, and will highlight these methods of empowerment and encourage giving back to one’s community.

A Spanish version of this special will air on Univision at 1:00 pm ET/PT  on October 22, and again on October 23 at 1 pm ET/PT on Telefutura.

Photo courtesy SesameStreet.org
Published: October 4, 2011