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Debbie

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Grateful for the School Lunch Program

June 11, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I am taking the Hunger Challenge with my 2 daughters ages 9 and 7.  I know I am participating, they do not.  I decided not to tell them for a couple of reasons.  1 – I’m curious to see if they will notice the change in buying habits from the kid standards of fruit snacks, whole wheat crackers, portable pouch yogurts and other favorites, to more conservative fare of items lacking the standard cartoon character that makes the food taste that much better (or at least that is what they seem to believe J).  And 2 – my thought would be that some families who encounter financially difficult situations may choose not to tell their children for a period of time that they are using other means to extend their food budgets.  So I will be trying to explain to my kids why there is a change in the food we are buying without telling them that what we can afford is less than 30% of what I would typically spend in a whole week for food for them.  For a family of 3 I’m using $47.60 as our budget for the whole week based on the national average SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) guidelines.

Day 1: Emotionally I am still feeling good with high energy.  The kids have not noticed anything yet except…

Today was “lunch on the field” day at my kids’ school. So I headed over to school and instead of the standard practice of spending $15.00 on 3- $5.00 foot longs at Subway, I told my children (to their dismay – since subway is a tradition for this type of event with our family) that they needed to use the school lunch today.  For those that qualify for CalFresh (also known as SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program), most likely they are also qualified for Free/Reduced lunch at the public schools.  So, I took advantage of this and will for the rest of the week.

But here’s the kicker, what would have happened in the summer time when the Free and Reduced lunch program is not available.  There are ways of course – however on a $47.60 budget for the week, saving the extra $2.00 per day gives me one extra dinner at the end of the week.  So Kudos to all the School Districts that provide the Summer Food Supplemental Program to help offset the cost of food even in the summer for those that need food assistance.

Back tomorrow with a Day 2 update.

*Note: I will not deny my kids food for the sake of the challenge if they are hungry.

Filed Under: HungerChallenge

From Hunger to Health

January 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

While a movement toward healthy eating has been building for some time, with the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative, the trend is gaining national attention.  Because diabetes and obesity are on the rise, more and more Americans are beginning to educate themselves on making healthier food choices.   As families struggle to put healthy food on the table we began asking ourselves, what is the role of the Food Bank?  We know our goal in serving over 132,000 people each month is not simply to fill bellies but must also provide good nutrition.

The Food Bank now evaluates the nutritional value of each item we purchase, looking in detail at sugar and salt content, as well as the vitamins and minerals it contains.  Our Senior Food Program serves low-income people over the age of 55, so we buy low-sodium or no sodium canned vegetables.  For the Food for Children program that serves kids ages 4-5, we opt for canned fruit in 100% juice, not syrup.  We also avoid overly processed foods. Instead, we choose whole food items like beans, rice, and lentils.  We also provide the same options to our pantries and soup kitchens giving them more whole grain choices like brown rice, barley, and whole wheat pasta.

Our focus has shifted toward more fresh fruits and vegetables that provide our clients the nutritional balance they need.  In that vein, we have rapidly expanded the Farm 2 Kids program that provides fresh produce to low income school children.  Distributing fresh produce has increased so significantly over the last few years that 1/3 of the food now distributed by the Food Bank is fresh fruits and vegetables.

Filed Under: Programs and Services Tagged With: , ,