Family Meal Day served up

The J.M Smucker Company is partnering with The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University to celebrate Family Day – A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children, which will be celebrated on Sept. 22 this year.

To help consumers prepare for Family Day, Smucker is offering a free, online chat with The Surprising Power of Family Meals author Miriam Weinstein on September 16, 2008. Readers can visit www.poweroffamilymeals.com between 8 – 10pm EST to chat with Weinstein, who will provide insight into the importance of family meals, tips on how to make it a part of your routine every day, and creative ways to make these occasions special.

“Although some may see meal time solely as a time to eat, it is much more than that,” said Weinstein. “It is also a place for emotional and behavioral nourishment. Meal time sets the stage for family interaction. Parents are so important in their kids’ lives and the kitchen table is such an obvious place for kids to get regular access to them.”

Family Day is a national movement that reminds parents that dinner makes a difference and encourages parents to frequently eat dinner with their kids and be involved in their children’s lives. CASA’s research consistently finds that the more often kids eat dinner with their families; the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs. Family Day helps remind busy families of the invaluable role that parental involvement plays in steering children and teens away from negative influences.

“The J.M. Smucker Company and its family of brands are proud to partner with CASA as we strive to promote the importance that family meals can play in peoples’ lives and in preserving family mealtime legacies,” said Maribeth Badertscher, Director, Corporate Communications, The J.M. Smucker Company. “We are honored to be invited to these family meals and to play a small, but valuable, role in bringing families together.”

For more information about Miriam Weinstein, the live chat and Family Day, visit www.poweroffamilymeals.com