FOOD PROGRAMS | WHO WE HELP | WHY WE HELP | OUR IMPACT
Snacks can play an important role in managing kids’ hunger and boosting nutrition. A well-timed snack can even out spikes in hunger and provide a much-needed energy boost between meals. Many teachers told us that they pay for snacks out of their own pockets in order to provide for children who are unable or forgot to bring snacks from home. Some teachers were paying around $200 a year to provide snacks for their students.
To take the burden off teachers, we partnered with the Teacher Supply Warehouse to provide free snacks for the classroom. This past school year we supplied over 2,300 pounds of snacks to the Teacher Supply Warehouse.
“My focus is different when I’m hungry. Of course I’m gonna be thinking about food. I’m gonna be thinking about which one of my classmates has food, and might share it.” – Adam, age 12
The Need
- Kids who are hungry can’t focus and do well in school.
- 46% of children from low-income families say hunger hurts their performance in school.
- More than 12% say that sometimes at night they’re too distracted by hunger to do their homework. (hungerinourschools.org)
- Research has found teachers spend up to $1,000 each year on classroom supplies. (thejournal.com)
Our Approach
- We understand that early school lunch hours followed by a long stretch before dinner can leave children running on empty.
- To help remedy the problem we supply thousands of pounds of snacks so that all children are able to focus in the classroom.
- Snack items desired include: Individual Fruit Cups, Individual Applesauce Cups, Boxes of Raisins, Cheese and Cracker Packets, Individual bags of Goldfish/Animal Crackers, Cereal Bars, Granola Bars, Crackers, Pretzels, Snack Mix