Needy students given food for weekend-US Schools Backpack Program

[RamboLiberal]

Today and every Friday, more than 50,000 children are taking backpacks full of food home from school in programs that have quietly swept the nation. The goal is to keep needy kids and their families from going hungry on weekends.

More than 120 food banks are distributing backpacks at 1,200 sites — mostly schools — in 40 states, up from about 30 food banks in a handful of states three years ago, according to Maura Daly of America's Second Harvest, a network of food banks.

Funding for the BackPack Program has come from individuals, civic groups, churches and companies, including Wal-Mart. "There's a real concern about childhood hunger in the United States," Daly says.

Hilary Duff, 19, TV's Lizzie McGuire, worked with another hunger-relief group, USA Harvest, to launch Blessings in a Backpack. Begun in July 2005 at two schools in Louisville, it will serve eight schools in four states by next month. Duff funds weekend meals for about 1,000 kids at a Los Angeles grade school.

Each backpack contains several pounds of healthful foods such as fruit cups, bread, milk, juice, crackers, beef stew and peanut butter.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-09-13-backpack_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

This nation's leaders need to hang their heads in shame - especially those that define themselves as upholding "family values" and espouse God and Jesus in their speeches!

[acmavm]

1. You are so right about the shame that SOME of us should feel.

It's not everyone who is against helping the poor. Basically it's corporate America, bush** supporters (which include the wealthiest 5% of our poor country).

[kestrel91316]

2. Given the utter lack of parenting in these childrens' homes

(as evidenced by the fact that they "need" the schools to provide what looks like 95% of their food), how are the children ever going to learn that WORK = PAYCHECK = TRIP TO GROCERY STORE TO BUY FOOD?

Where are the parents? And if they truly can provide NO FOOD for their children (whatever happened to food stamps - I KNOW they still exist), how do they avoid having them taken away by the county and put in a home where providing for childrens' needs is a major priority?

[peace13]

3. Do you live in America?

People have lost their jobs, health insurance and homes. The bankruptcy bill ushered in by our Congress is pushing middle Americans as well as low income families into poverty. Wow, so many are one paycheck away from disaster. A backpack full of food is the minimum we can do.

[kestrel91316]

4. But my tax money is already paying for FOOD STAMPS.

I have no objection to schools providing low-cost meals on site. I guess the idea of backpacks full of food frosts me because now they are feeding the whole family. Presumably someone in the family could flip burgers enough to buy a bag of beans and a bag of flour and a box of lard or can of shortening, with a few pennies left over.........

Where's the help available to me when my business gets slow and money isn't coming in? That's right, there IS NONE. I own a business. I am shut out of aid. Convenience foods have been an unaffordable luxury for me for years.

If they had a way af ascertaining whether or not there was a true need for the food, that would be fine. But my guess is it's handed out to just about everybody willing to whine and fuss.

[RamboLiberal]

5. I can't believe your post on DU

I'd bet a lot of these kids families one or both parents are working. Probably at low wage jobs. There are expenses other than food that has to be paid. Rent or mortgage, vehicle maintenance, fuel, insurance for some beater of a car to get them to their job - mass transit if even available probably sucks and even if you are using mass transit it isn't free either. Heating and electricity. Clothing. Prescriptions and health care and if they have a low wage job they probably don't have health insurance, can't affod the co-pays at work or are struggling to make those co-pays.

Have you been to the grocery store lately? I'm glad even at my decent wages that I'm not trying to feed a family. Here's something you can try - some lawmakers have tried this and found it near impossible - try living like you are on food stamps for a week.

Hey I'm not immune either to the way you feel. I'll admit sometimes being a bit frosted standing in line behind someone who uses an Access card thinking I pay taxes for their poor choices. I'd love to smack upside the head the kids who drop out of school not thinking of how they are ruining their future. Or those who don't think of the consequences of getting pregnant and having kids when they can't afford them. The single moms abandoned by their good-for-nothing boyfriends. But the kids can't help that their parent(s) made mistakes and shouldn't be punished for them.

If we don't invest in giving these kids food, shelter, clothing, education and a chance to improve their lives now we'll pay even more for them in health care or the justice system for them later.

And there are plenty of people who are one paycheck or one health crisis or one financial crisis, no matter that they are working their butts off, from disaster and from lacking food for their family.

I personally realize that because I was blessed with a good mind and a knack for programming and the self-learning to hold an IT job that enabled me to live a decent life paying my own way. And I was blessed to be born to a mother and dad during a time when steel manufacturing enabled by dad to provide us with a decent living - it wasn't living high but I was never hungry or cold. And during the extended steelworkers strike in the early 60's if it wasn't for grandparents we could've been in a world of hurt. I still remember at that time my catholic grade school was gathering food donations for the poor and my mom agonizing over donating a can or two of baked beans but she gave the cans to take to school. We got back that night a bigger can of baked beans from the Steelworker's union. I find that today when I give I get back - karma or a blessing?

A lot of us ought to take stock - many of us were fortunate and circumstances could've well put us in the situation of these families. And I know there are many here who are or have been in these circumstances. Good for those who give these kids these backpacks.

This story is from May of this year.

Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, along with Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA), Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) and Tim Ryan (D-OH), will be cutting way back on grocery shopping this week as part of the Food Stamp Budget Challenge,which started on Tuesday. For a week, Schakowsky will live on approximately $1 per meal. This number is based on the FY05 average monthly benefit of $94.05 for people on the Food Stamp Program. McGovern and Emerson challenged all of the House of Reps to participate; only Schakowsky and Ryan took them up on the challenge. What families get in food stamps have not kept up with inflation.

More than 25 million Americans receive food stamps, and as Schakowsky discovered on the first day of the challenge, it isn't an easy life. "I couldn't afford the mayo," she said as she ate canned tuna on white bread. Her compatriots' lunches were similarly lacking; McGovern ate a bowl of home-cooked lentils, while Emerson's salad consisted of iceberg lettuce and not much else.

"I have managed to stay within the budget, but I only have to do this for one week," Schakowsky said. "I can only imagine how difficult it must be to live like this every day of your life.” Especially difficult for the participants in the challenge was finding ways to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into their diets on such a limited budget.

Said Ryan on his blog: "Obviously, $21.00 doesn’t go too far, especially when it comes to variety. I'm starting to understand that living on such a tight budget doesn’t allow a person to get the balanced diet they need, I wasn't able to get much protein and produce was almost completely out of the question."

http://chicagoist.com/2007/05/17/whither_the_win.php