Power Snack visits West Fork CSD

posted on Wednesday, November 14, 2018

“Power Snack is a positive program that helps feed our students,” said Tracy Peterson, 3-8 Principal at West Fork Community School District. “Keeping them full helps keep their brains engaged at school so that they can focus on learning.”

A program of Iowa Select Farms and the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation, Power Snack aims to provide children access to nutritious food at home. Four times throughout the school year, children identified as food-insecure will receive a $5 coupon for deli ham and $3 coupon for whole wheat bread.

“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 our coupons and make their own snacks,” explained Jen Sorenson, Communications Director of Iowa Select Farms. “Oftentimes parents are working on weekends and holidays. Something simple like a ham sandwich may be the difference in preventing kids from going hungry.”

Coupons are typically distributed before extended weekends or holiday breaks, like Thanksgiving, when children go without important meals at school like breakfast and lunch.

“These coupons could not have come at a better time,” said Tracy. “We do not have any others food-assistance programs at our school.”

Now in its sixth year, Power Snack supports nearly 24,000 children statewide. In total, 240 students in the West Fork School District will receive Power Snack—a contribution valued at $7,680 and enough supplies to make 8,640 ham sandwiches.