Power Snack visits Carroll CSD
posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2018
“Most people don’t realize that we have a number of students that come to school hungry,” said Kristi Peters, counselor at Carroll Middle School. “There are a large number of students that come for our breakfast program.”
According to the USDA MyPlate guidelines, children need up to six ounces of lean protein daily, depending on age and gender.
“Students are much more successful in school when their stomachs are full and nutritional needs are met,” continued Kristi. “We definitely see a difference in both school success and general health when students are well-fed, which is why we are so excited for the Power Snack program and the means it will provide us to give to students in need.”
Power Snack, a program of Iowa Select Farms and the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation, is aimed at reducing childhood hunger in Iowa by providing food-insecure students access to nutritious foods at home. Each child enrolled in the program receives coupons for $5 of deli ham and $3 for a loaf of whole wheat bread—ingredients to make their own protein-packed Power Snacks at home.
786 students in the Carroll School District qualify for the program.
“The goal of Power Snack is to empower children in food insecure homes by teaching them how to get to the store, shop for nutritious food covered by the coupons and make their own Power Snacks at home,” said Jen Sorenson, communications director of Iowa Select Farms.
School-based food-assistance programs for children from low-income families greatly aid the learning process, but those same children may still suffer from food insecurity on weekends and holiday breaks.
“With Thanksgiving break right around the corner, we will be distributing the coupons to families of students on our free and reduced lunch program,” continued Kristi. “The coupons will be dispersed at each of our school buildings.”
Power Snacks will be distributed four times throughout the school year to students in need—a contribution valued at $15,720.
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