You may find it hard to imagine, but kids like Dallas would not have the nutrition they need if it weren’t for our program.
Dallas is, for the most part, a typical elementary school student
. Dallas is in fifth grade. He is smart, bright eyed and loves playing with his friends.
Unfortunately, not due to any fault of his own, both of his parents are not in the picture. Dallas is being raised by his grandmother, who is on a fixed income. The sad truth is that
1 out of 10 children in Brevard County are being raised by a grandparent
.
Dallas worries about how much money is left on his grandmother’s EBT card (food stamps) at the end of each food shopping trip. At age 10, this little boy is concerned about having enough food to eat rather than concentrating on school, or playing with his friends.
Dallas is eligible for the free breakfast and lunch at school. Oftentimes the lunch he eats on Friday afternoon is his
last substantial meal until returning to school on Monday morning
– that’s 68 hours without consistent nutrition. And Dallas is not alone…
More than 50% of students in Brevard County are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program at school. This statistic is important because it is a key indicator of hunger and poverty in a geographic area.
If Dallas comes to school hungry, he will be more prone to
attention issues and behavioral outbursts - simply due to hunger
. Research shows that he will also test
17% lower in math skills, be sick more often, and take longer to recover
because of inadequate nutrition. Kids like Dallas would not have the nutrition they need on weekends if it weren’t for The Children’s Hunger Project. Please join us in helping ensure that Brevard’s children receive adequate weekend nutrition.
