posted on Friday, October 30, 2020
Day five of PowerSnack and we’re finally headed east! Today’s first stop was in Jefferson to catch up with Greene County School’s Nurse, Jill Wanninger.
“These coupons couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Jill. “We distribute them to students prior to any extended break so that we know they’ll always have access to food, even when they’re not at school.”
This is the fourth-year qualifying students in Greene County will receive Power Snack deli ham and whole wheat bread coupons + Pork Sticks. Since 2017, 741 students in the county have been supported by Power Snack—a donation valued at $23,712 but more importantly, enough resources to make 35,568 nutritious meals.
“Many students come to school without having breakfast or even dinner the night before,” explained Wanninger. “When students are hungry, they may get headaches, stomach aches or show behavior issues. It effects their ability to learn.”
Last year was the first year that schools received Pork Sticks and this year, thanks to helpful teacher feedback, Iowa Select Farms and the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation doubled their efforts to fight childhood hunger with 20,000 Pork Sticks.
“We have so many students that come to school hungry and these will be so helpful for them,” she exclaimed. “We offer crackers, peanut butter and other snacks, but do not often have protein. It’s so important for growth and development, so these pork sticks just really excite me.”
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”.
One of Jill’s favorite things about the Program is how discretely the coupons can be distributed.
“Power Snack allows students access to food without other students knowing they are being assisted,” she said. “We are able to distribute them discreetly, which I think is helpful. It allows us to truly help those who need it.”
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