Power Snack visits Storm Lake CSD
posted on Tuesday, November 20, 2018
“It’s hard to see our students become uneasy on Fridays because they realize there won’t be food at their house over the weekend,” said Barb Lange, Principal at Storm Lake Elementary School. “We see many more behaviors on Fridays.”
According to the Food Bank of Iowa, food insecurity affects 1 in 5 children. When a child is considered food-insecure it means they do not have enough to eat.
While existing school-based food-assistance programs greatly aid the learning process, many students in Storm Lake and statewide are still left without food on weekends or extended holiday breaks.
“Students need proper nutrition to focus and be attentive in the classroom,” continued Barb. “It is difficult for them to learn when they are not having their basic needs met.”
Power Snack, a program of Iowa Select Farms and the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation, aims to reduce childhood hunger in Iowa by providing access to nutritious food at home. Throughout the 2018-2019 school year, 1,190 students in Storm Lake will benefit from the program—a contribution valued at $38,080.
Power Snack provides children with $5 coupons for deli ham and $3 coupons for a loaf of whole wheat bread.
“The superhero theme of Power Snack is indicative of the larger purpose of the program—empower children in food insecure homes by teaching them how to get to the store, shop for nutritious food covered by the coupons and prepare their own meals,” said Jen Sorenson, communications director of Iowa Select Farms.
According to the USDA MyPlate guidelines, children should eat up to six ounces of lean protein daily, depending on age and gender. Ham is an excellent source of protein, zinc, potassium. Combining the energy and carbohydrates of whole wheat bread with the protein of ham means children will be able to make themselves a real “Power Snack”.
“The idea that students will have the opportunity to have a healthy, filling meal because of these coupons is just so exciting,” said Barb. “We do everything we can to help our students out and these coupons are just one step further in helping make sure no child goes hungry in our district.”
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