Teacher-Led Food Banks Seek to Bridge the Gap for Hungry Students

Teachers face several challenges concerning their students' nutrition. First and foremost is students who come to school hungry. For any number of reasons, children come to school on Monday mornings bearing the signs of not having eaten during the weekend or at night. Children who save their snacks and unwanted snacks of their peers are communicating a message that there is little or no food at home. Children who eat school breakfasts and lunches like they haven't eaten for days probably have not. Another sign of a hungry student is his inability to concentrate on his work.

To attempt to combat students coming to school hungry, teachers throughout the nation have started food banks. One such organization is Secret Meals for Hungry Children. SMHC was started in the Tuscaloosa, Alabama area in 2009 by the Alabama Credit Union. Teachers who observe the classic signs of hungry children anonymously slip food into the child's book bag while they are out of the room. The food packets vary, but usually consist of noodles with sauce, beef stew, cereal, powdered milk, juice, applesauce and fruit. Anonymous donors make sure the cans and food packages are easy for children to open. The packets cost $3 each, or $120 a year per packet.

There are three other food banks in Alabama. The West Alabama Food Bank, Bay Area Food Bank and the North Alabama Food Bank, along with SMHC are all privately funded through fundraisers and private donations. Many teachers come out of their own pockets or designate an amount to come out of their salaries per month to contribute to the food bank. The good news is 100 percent of the donations go to buy food. Throughout the United States, businesses are teaming up with teachers and other concerned individuals to combat hunger at home for school children.

Teachers who correctly identify students who need food get many reactions from students who are recipients of the secret meals. Most of the time, they say "thank you." or they give the teacher a hug. Parents respond in many ways. Some say thanks. Others get angry that their child was targeted, and this casts a negative impression on them.. Still others ask the teachers to not send any food.

On Dec. 13, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act that made nutritious school lunches available for more students nationwide. This legislation included upgrading the quality of food served and using fresh produce from local vendors. Teachers who sit with students as they eat nutritious, well-constructed lunches face the same challenges they did before the act was signed. Many are seeing students eat only what they want. Many times, healthy foods stay on students' plates well after they are finished eating. While teachers encourage students to eat, they cannot make them. Secret Meals for Hungry Children along with other such food banks nationwide is another way teachers invest in the health and welfare of their students.

Visit these links to learn more about food banks for hungry children and how you can help.

http://feedingamerica.org/foodbank-results.aspx
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/dec/25/backpack-program-feeds-hungry-
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5867988/blessings_in_a_backpack_program.html?cat=5
children/http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6117868/healthy_hungerfree_kids_act_does_everything.html?cat=5