MOM’s Snack Bag program helps kids stay nourished over the weeks off from school
With winter break now in session, many children and youth who rely on the school’s free and reduced meals to fill their stomachs and feed their brains will be without that important resource. With cupboards and refrigerators being empty of food, many students and families will be awaiting the return of school more than others.
One of MOM’s latest efforts to address hunger is the problem of school hunger amongst at-risk students. “The snack bag program was originally designed to help students who come to school hungry,” says Cheri Farha, MOM Distribution Center Manager. The free and reduced meals the students are eligible to receive don’t always cover the many circumstances some of them face, such as coming to school late due to lack of transportation or unstable housing arrangements, and then miss breakfast offered at some school cafeterias. The students end up in the social worker’s offices, hungry and lacking energy to get through the school day.
Farha said that since the program was developed in the spring of 2010, MOM has provided social workers with over 750 snack bags. In addition to the snack bags, MOM provides food to students to take home on long weekends or breaks, when they don’t have school meals to rely on and food may be hard to come by at home. These bags of food include staples such as cereal, shelf-stable milk, pastas, and meals in a box as well as personal items such as toilet paper and toothbrushes. The majority of the youth that receive these bags aren’t living in stable housing and often move from home to home. The food included is food that they could prepare anywhere, and helps them feel more confident that they won’t be hungry over the break.
Betsy Scallon, MCPASD school social worker shared this story about a student who will be using the bags over break. “Susan has been living with her mother for the past 6 months after moving to Middleton because her father didn’t want her to live with him anymore. After she turned 18 her mother told her she needed to be on her own, so she is currently living with friends and searching for a part time job so she can afford an apartment to live in with a friend. She continues to attend high school, as she is on track to graduate at the end of this school year. The food from MOM will help Susan to eat while she is not in school over the two week winter break.”
“MOM felt like was an area where we could make a significant impact on hunger in our community as well as directly in a child’s life. Winter break should be a time of fun, and it saddened us to know that there would be children eagerly awaiting school’s return just so they could eat,” said Farha. MOM is continuing all of these programs throughout 2012 thanks to generous donors throughout the community. More information on MOM’s work to end hunger in the area can be found at momhelps.org.
