Rotary First Harvest : Hunger in School


	Hunger in School This note, written by one of our volunteers, is a poignant reminder of the problem of hunger in the United States. "Did you get to the food bank?,” the kindergarten child said as she talked to her mother. I had handed the child the telephone to talk after she cleaned up the results of her tantrum in the classroom. I wondered at the words. Most children who are in trouble with the principal want to know how their parents are going to react to their misdeeds, not asking about food. I took the little girl home. She walked in the door and went to a bag of groceries, took out a juice box, bit open the side of it and guzzled the juice energetically. I do not know when that five-year had eaten last. In 1987 I was a single parent with two teen-age children. I worked as a substitute teacher, graduate assistant, housekeeper and went to college full time. I paid the bills, but did not have much left over to buy groceries enough to fill two teen-age stomachs. I went to the food bank each month. What I found there was acceptance of my need without excessive paperwork. I found people who filled the bags with groceries and gave me a smile. The cheese, turkey thighs, bread, vegetables and seasonal fruit made the dollars I had stretch through the month. The caring attitude of the volunteers lifted my lonely heart. Now that I am in a position where I work with children daily, I see the results when children are not fed. Whenever a child comes to the office for misbehavior before lunch the first thing I ask is, “Did you eat breakfast?” More often than not the child has had nothing to eat. We keep crackers and peanut butter on hand for such emergencies. They really are emergencies, for children who are hungry cannot learn. Children who are hungry cannot behave. The school office staff knows where the local food bank is and sends needy parents there whenever they know of the need. A bag of groceries will help not only the family in need, but the classmates of the children. When a child is hungry they stop their own learning and the learning of others. I am in the joyous position of being able to give back to the food banks now. I choose to do this through Rotary First Harvest because my donations are maximized. Bringing quality food, that would otherwise be wasted, to the food banks helps individuals families and children survive tough times. My gifts of time and money to Rotary First Harvest not only fill empty stomachs they make learning possible. Join me in giving.		Please join us in giving