130 Students in Spencer Will Receive Power Snack Coupons
posted on Friday, November 22, 2019
“Children need to be properly nourished to do their best work in school,” said Angie Ward, Guidance Counselor at Spencer Middle School. “Sometimes difficult financial situations at home leave children without having their basic needs met.”
One of the most basic and important needs for children is a well-balanced diet full of nutrients; however, nutrient-dense foods often carry a higher price tag, making it difficult for families with strict budgets to purchase.
“This often results in less expensive, processed foods that aren’t quite as nutritious,” said Allyson Ladd, Communications Specialist at Iowa Select Farms. “The goal of Power Snack is to provide children access to nutritious foods at home. We want to empower them to go to the store, use their coupons and prepare their own “Power Snacks” at home.”
Now in its seventh year, Power Snack provides 22,751 students statewide with $5 coupons for deli ham and $3 coupons for a loaf of whole wheat bread. Schools participating in the program receive enough coupons for their students to receive a Power Snack coupon booklet four times throughout the school year.
New this year, schools also receive pork sticks to help alleviate emergency hunger situations.
“Our students are old enough to take the coupons themselves to the store,” explained Ward. “Many older students will actually do this, which really excites me. We also work closely with parents to make sure these are reimbursed so the younger children always have a healthy snack option when they’re at home.”
130 students in Spencer will receive Power Snack coupons and pork sticks—a contribution valued at $4,160 and enough resources to provide 6,240 meals.
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