It is amazing how much of our day revolves around food! Yes, it is our fuel and sustenance, but it goes beyond that most of the time.
Our cravings, our celebrations, our boredom and last but not least our health, all are affected by or revolve around food. Many of us plan our meals in advance and look forward to them, stopping at the grocery store on the way home for any missing ingredients. Of course this scenario is pretty typical for those with food security: the state of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.
Recently, in speaking with some local adults about what the Frontier Community Action Agency does in our community - particularly the Summer Food Service Program - these adults shared their stories of growing up in need of such programs.
One person shared their love of school cafeteria lunches, because many times that was the one meal they could count on having through the free and reduced lunch program. Many times, hunger meant having headaches, feeling tired and not being able to concentrate due to the lack of dinner and breakfast, making their school day difficult until lunch time came around.
Currently Humboldt County still has families struggling with food security, many more than we might realize. Humboldt County School District currently has over 1,000 students qualified for the free lunch program, almost half of these students are in our elementary schools.
For some of these students their story isn't very different; they still look forward to meals at school.
Fortunately all students qualifying for free lunch also qualify for free breakfast and as school principals, teachers, and counselors can attest, a nutritious meal makes a world of difference in a child's learning!
The issue now becomes Monday morning. For some students , weekends mean parents working two jobs, leaving them to eat easy but unhealthy foods. Some cases, it means empty pantries.
Through a partnership with the Frontier Community Action Agency (FCAA), Humboldt County School District, and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, we will be providing weekend meals to the students of the elementary schools who qualify for free lunch and choose to participate through the Back Pack Kids Program.
The cost to feed a child four to five nutritious weekend meals/ snacks through this program is $5; less than the average cost of one fast food value meal. Currently the FCAA has contributed enough funding for one elementary school's free lunch participants to have Back Pack meals for the remainder of the school year. The goal is to raise enough funds to expand the program to all three elementary schools.
Speaking to principals, teachers and counselors we have heard how this program is needed and the difference it makes on a child's outlook on their school day. We look forward to providing this service and networking in our community to help us receive the much needed support to expand the program to all elementary students in need.
If you would like to assist with the Back Pack Kids Program, volunteer or learn more about our current community efforts within Humboldt County and the other programs we offer, or have any additional questions regarding our organization, you may contact us at (775) 623-9003. Or stop by our offices, located at 640 Melarkey Street, Suite 3 in Winnemucca. The more people know about the social issues affecting our community, the more likely they are to take action to help or know how to help their own children and families.[[In-content Ad]]
