As I started looking at the stats about children in individual communities, it became clear that there are some common problems that face our children. Many are rooted in hunger issues.
Whether it's academic performance, behavior problems or even health-related challenges including obesity, food - lack of access to quality, plentiful food - can be pin-pointed as a contributing factor.
After Washington DC (30.7%), Oregon (29.0%) has the highest rate of children facing food insecurity. What this means is that nearly 3 of every 10 children in the state routinely are unable to get the basic nourishment they need when they need it.
So, what can we do about this? The Active 20-30 Club of Eugene has taken a step to address the issue in their community. Using club funds, a grant from their club's Foundation and a grant from the national Foundation, they are funding a "Back Sacks" project for the school year.
Many cities are bringing similar projects online and are seeing almost instant positive results. The gist of the program is this: local school staff identify the children who are often going without food on the weekends when schools typically are unable to provide meals. Each Friday these kids discreetly receive a bag of kid-friendly, high-quality (read: no Pop Tarts or candy bars) foods that are able to be prepared without an oven or stove.
Some programs supply a cloth bag for the kids to carry back and forth. In Indianapolis where I first learned about the model, a big concern was that the bags would not be cared for. Surprisingly - or maybe not so - the bags were treated well and returned every week. Why? Because it meant food to the child. No bag, no full bellies. Many programs have gone to using disposable grocery bags for convenience and cost. Either way, the bags are extremely meaningful to the kids; a life-line of sorts.
Other unintended side effects of the program, as Eugene members will see, is that school attendance increases and discipline issues drop significantly. The kids are ready to learn and are no longer hording or stealing food from the school or their peers. They're able to focus on why they are in school - to learn.
Recognizing the need and taking a seemingly small step to provide weekend snacks and meals is having a huge impact on the kids in Eugene and many other cities.
What other food-related programs have you seen in your own communities? What has the impact been?
“In the long view, no nation is healthier than its children,
or more prosperous than its farmers.”
- President Harry Truman,
on signing the 1946 National School Lunch Act
No comments:
Post a Comment