Food Program

America’s schools say kids are hungry — just as pandemic-era benefit programs have lapsed. There is growing concern about the effects on kids’ ability to learn. Soaring food prices are adding strains on families who are seeing reductions in multiple kinds of financial assistance. More than 34 million people, including 9 million children, in the United States are food insecure, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture, meaning they lack consistent access to enough food for every person in their family to be healthy. Children in such households are more likely to struggle academically and repeat grade levels, among other challenges. 

This is a growing reality in our community. It is impossible to teach a child that does not have their basic needs met. Teachers often are the ones to pick up on chronic hunger in students. Many teachers throughout our community attempt to assist this problem by keeping snacks and other small food items in their classroom to nourish those kids that are deficient so that they can successfully teach them. The Dream Big for Life food program provides snacks and other healthy food items to teachers to assist in this endeavor.

Lack of recognition will cause the child to develop feelings of loneliness, social anxiety, low self-esteem, and even mental health problems. They're more likely to be withdrawn, throw temper tantrums, develop depression, apathy, emotional instability, and more. Acknowledging a great effort or a job well done lets children know that they are understood, accepted and supported, and that is an important part of building self-esteem.