“Didn’t we just buy granola bars?” Dave asked Nancy as she grabbed two boxes off the Buy One Get One table at the grocery store.
“Yes, but they’re not for us,” she replied.
“They’re for the kids,” they both said in unison.
Nancy is a kindergarten teacher at a local elementary school, and like many of her co-workers, keeps a stash of pencils, paper, glue, and yes, granola bars, in her classroom, just in case. When students come to class with an empty backpack, or empty belly, she’s prepared.
My first year teaching, I quickly learned that many of my students would come to school hungry every Monday, she recalls.
And on those days, her students were cranky, unable to focus and disrupted class. When it was time for art or music, Nancy would slip the students a quick bite so they could make it until lunch.
After the first few weeks of school, Nancy started receiving Kids Snack Packs from Second Harvest Food Bank for her students who did not have access to the school cafeteria on the weekend. Second Harvest partners with elementary schools, like the one Nancy teaches at, that have a significant percentage of students that participate in the free and reduced priced lunch program. The food packs are designed to provide kid-friendly meals and snacks for students who do not have access to the school cafeteria on the weekend.
“I could see a noticeable difference in my students after just one weekend,” said Nancy. “Before the packs started going home, these kids would be disengaged on Monday morning, just sitting with their heads down. Now, they come to class ready to learn.”
Nancy still buys granola bars for her supply closet, but doesn’t go through them as quickly as before.
1 in 5 kids is at risk of going to bed hungry tonight.
You can help.
