OABCIG Community School District was Our First Stop on Trip Seven
posted on Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Our first stop of the morning brought us to Ida Grove, Iowa, and Oabcig Community School District. We met up with Food Services Director, Mary Renze, to deliver 2,000 Power Snacks for local students identified as food-insecure.
“When students are hungry, it’s hard for them to concentrate at school,” said Mary. “What excites me most about this program is that it allows us to truly help the students that need it.”
Since 2012, Power Snack has traveled the state of Iowa and delivered coupons for at-risk students. An effort of Iowa Select Farms and the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation, the goal of Power Snack is to alleviate hunger by providing access to nutritious foods at home.
Four times throughout the school year, students will receive a Power Snack booklet with a $5 coupon for a pound of 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” at home.
“We know that protein is important in the diets of young, developing students,” said Mary. “It helps with muscle development and energy, but it’s also one of the more expensive items at the grocery store.”
New this year, schools will also receive pork sticks to help in immediate hunger situations.
“We are excited about the addition of Pork Sticks because they’ll serve as an immediate, nutritious resource for kids,” said Jen Sorenson, Communications Director of Iowa Select Farms. “They pack a powerful protein punch and can help students curb hunger and focus on learning.”
In total, 91,004 Power Snack deli ham and whole-wheat bread coupon packs and 10,000 Pork Sticks, intended for distribution right before Thanksgiving, winter, spring and summer breaks.
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