Webster City Schools Received PowerSnacks Today
posted on Thursday, November 14, 2019
“When students are hungry, they go into survival mode rather than focusing on academics,” said Jerry Buseman, principal at Webster City Middle School. “Instead of classwork, they think about when their next meal will come. The reality is that students who have food insecurity have a harder time learning.”
According to the Food Bank of Iowa, 1 in 5 children are food insecure. When a child’s basic nutrition needs are not met, they struggle in school.
Thanks to Iowa Select Farms and the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation, at-risk children in Webster City and other rural Iowa communities will be receiving Power Snack kits containing a $5 coupon for deli ham and a $3 coupon for a loaf of whole wheat bread—the ingredients needed to make their own “Power Snacks” at home.
Earlier this morning, we delivered 2,400 Power Snack coupon booklets at 225 pork sticks, a new addition to the program that will help students curb hunger in immediate situations.
“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 snacks,” said Jen Sorenson, Communications Director of Iowa Select Farms. “Oftentimes parents are working on weekends and holidays. Something simple like a ham sandwich may be the difference in preventing kids from going hungry.”
Sunset Heights - Webster City Community Schools, Pleasant View Elementary, Webster City Middle and Webster City High School will all benefit from the program. In total, 600 students within the Webster City School District will receive Power Snack kits—a contribution valued at $19,200.
“For many of our students, the majority of their meals happen while at school,” said Lori Hartnett, Food Service Director and Summer Food Coordinator for Webster City Schools. “Food insecurity affects their behavior and learning abilities. This donation will help immensely because the more kids we can keep fed, the more we are helping students get the most of their education.”
This year, Power Snack will provide 22,751 children in grades K-12 across 125 schools with 1,092,048 meals.
“What excites me most about this program is the amount of stress it will alleviate for many of our students,” continued Principal Buseman. “Having this major need met will allow for a more level playing field in education.”
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