George-Little Rock Community Schools Receives Power Snacks
posted on Thursday, November 21, 2019
“The fact that kids will have food during Thanksgiving break and long weekends is just amazing,” said Colleen Trei, Food Service Director at George-Little Rock Community School District.”Breaks can be really tough on our students, so knowing that we’re able to help them, even more, is huge. These coupons are very helpful.”
It’s no secret that protein and carbohydrates are among the essential nutrients in a balanced diet; however, according to the Food Bank of Iowa, 1 in 5 children are considered food-insecure, meaning they do not have enough to eat.
“When students come to school hungry, they may be angry, distracted or sleepy,” said Colleen. “They’re often fidgety and overall really struggle to focus. Hunger can have a variety of impacts depending on the child, but the overall theme is that it limits a student’s ability to learn.”
Power Snack, a program of Iowa Select Farms and the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation, aims to reduce childhood hunger by providing access to nutritious foods at home. Four times throughout the school year, students identified as food insecure by their schools will receive a $5 coupon for deli ham and $3 coupon for a loaf of whole wheat bread.
Combining the energy and carbohydrates of whole wheat bread with the protein of ham means the children will have made themselves a real “Power Snack”.
“Not only is ham delicious, but it’s nutritious, full of flavor and easy to prepare,” said Jen Sorenson, Communicators Director for Iowa Select Farms. “According to the National Pork Board, ham is an excellent source of thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, phosphorus and protein, and a good source of zinc and potassium.”
Now in its seventh year, the Program provides 22,751 students statewide with deli ham and whole wheat bread coupons. 162 students at George-Little Rock Community Schools will receive Power Snack coupons and pork sticks—a donation valued at $5,184 and enough resources to make 7,776 ham sandwich “Power Snacks”
Subscribe to our newsletter: Get fresh articles delivered straight to your inbox.
Subscribe