School Children too hungry to learn

[GoodWitch58]

http://www.strength.org/school_breakfast/pdfs/report_full.pdf

this is a real shame.

In Bay County the public school teachers realized that many children were not eating their lunch on Fridays; they were saving it so they would have something to eat over the weekends. The teachers started a "backpack" food project -- they gave the students backpacks for food to take home for the weekends and they bring the backpacks back to refill for the next weekend. Turns our, some of the children were not eating so their parents could have something on the weekend because the parents had gone without so the children could eat during the week.http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/...Children_In_Bay_County_114391919.html?ref=919

Our student body at Gulf Coast is working with the public school system to collect food for the children. They call their program "Backpack Buddies."

These are the kinds of issues I would like to see our leaders focus on...encourage jobs and educational training for parents who have lost their jobs and can't buy food for their children; have an active Child and Family Department to find the abuse -- because there are no doubt parents who use what money they have to buy things other than food for their children; and support teachers who are in some cases paying out of their own funds, as much as $25 per month for children who are hungry.

 

[scooterbug44]

And the problem is only going to get worse thanks to the latest proposed budget cuts.

What we give to Afghanistan in aid each year could easily feed these kids.

 

[GoodWitch58]

Maybe Governor Scott could donate his salary to the school children in Florida....

 

[idlewind]

And the problem is only going to get worse thanks to the latest proposed budget cuts.

What we give to Afghanistan in aid each year could easily feed these kids.

You are right scooter, we need to stop trying to save the world and start saving America.

 

[scooterbug44]

That's what I was thinking too! (Scott salary)

Regardless, I think we need a new push for food donations - many shelves are bare.

Idlewild - when I did the NYTimes budget calculator, one easy save was to cut our foreign aid in half - saves $17 billion.

But that number pales in comparison to many other items - SS, Medicare, tax cuts, military...

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html

 

[bluecat]

No child in this country should have to know hunger.We jump to help other countries in time of need , but ignore our own.

 

[Bob]

the schools could function as a food bank on weekends but the board attorney would nix the idea

 

[GoodWitch58]

No child in this country should have to know hunger.We jump to help other countries in time of need , but ignore our own.

and many of these hungry children (and adults) are right here in Bay, Walton and Okaloosa counties...

 

[familyof3]

Our local school does this also. Lots of companies,people donate food and money. I was there for chrismtas break they were trying to jam alot of food in those bags since it was going to be a long break.