Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock Elementary PowerSnack Delivery
posted on Thursday, March 8, 2018
“The number of families in our community that need food assistance increases every year,” said Makaela Hoffman, Elementary School Principal at Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock (RRMR) Community School District. “I’m hoping that when families receive these coupons it will ease the burden of not always being able to afford protein at the grocery store.”
Power Snack, a program that provides coupons for food insecure students in Iowa, supports 50 students at RRMR Elementary School – a contribution valued at $1,600. Funded by the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation and Iowa Select Farms, Power Snack provides students with a $3 coupon for a loaf of whole wheat bread and a $5 coupon for a pound of sliced or shaved deli ham. Coupons are distributed four times throughout the school year, most commonly before extended breaks when students don’t have access to meals at school.
In addition to the coupons, students receive a booklet filled with recipes to help encourage them to use the meat and bread in different ways.
“The super hero theme of Power Snack is indicative of the larger purpose of the program: 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 at Iowa Select Farms. “Whether they’re making the perfect ham sandwich, ham wraps, ham pizza snacks or scrambled eggs and ham, we want children to have fun making their power snacks.”
Throughout Iowa, 1 in 6 children struggle with hunger daily. At RRMR Elementary School, close to 45 percent of students are on free and reduced lunch. Hoffman says that when students are hungry, they often look tired, sad, are fidgety or cry.
“Many teachers keep snacks in their classrooms for students who are hungry,” explained Hoffman. “Our school nurse and cafeteria staff also do a great job of getting food for students, no matter the time of day. These coupons allow us to continue helping the students even when they’re not at school.”
Now in its fifth year, the Power Snack program provides coupons for more than 18,000 K-12 students throughout Iowa identified by their schools as food insecure.
“Students who come to school fed are more confident, relaxed and do better than their peers who come to school hungry,” Hoffman explained. “I am excited to see how having these coupons will positively affect our students in need of assistance when it comes to getting the proper nutrients in their diet.”
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