A school principal noticed three students crying in the hallway because they hadn't eaten since their school lunch on Friday. She fed them and ensured they had food to take home. She realized this was a wider issue and worked with other administrators to provide food for hungry students on weekends. The story highlights how teachers and staff now work to ensure students have enough food, as the economic downturn has increased food insecurity for many families with children.

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2. School Administrators And Teachers Provide For Needs Of Hungry Children

3. Several months ago in the middle of service at church our minister asked a man
to come forward and speak. I don't recall the man's name, but, the story he told
struck a nerve in me, and is a large part of why I sit here writing this blog today!
It's a safe assumption to say " we all " know the recent economic downturn has
changed all of our lives here in Lee County, but, after hearing what this man had
to say I realized I hadn't yet grasped the extent to which some lives were affected,
and the hardships too many are forced to endure.

4. He shared a story told to him by a friend, who happened to be a principal at a local
elementary school. She came to school one particular Monday morning and was
greeting the students as they filed in from the buses and the area where parents
drop off their kids. Most of the students had made their way to their classrooms,
however, a few still lingered in the halls, among these was a group of 3 kids from
the same family. What drew her attention was the fact that they were all standing
together, holding each other and crying. When she asked them what was wrong
their response surprised her... they were crying

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6. because they hadn't eaten since their school lunch on Friday... and their stomachs
were hurting! She immediately took them to the cafeteria and had food served to
them. It was at this point when she got another surprise, the children each took
some of the food and put it away to take home with them, apparently there was
another child at home, not yet old enough to go to school, who hadn't eaten since
Friday either. She instructed the cafeteria workers to make sure at the end of the
day these kids had food in their backpacks to take home. With their belly's full and
their tears dried she sent the kids to class, and went to her office to make some
calls.

7. school principal, she thought she would surprise her friend with the story, but it
turned out this principal was dealing with the same issue with several of her
students as well. They decided action needed to be taken... they started calling
schools around the county and telling administrators about the problem, they
advised their staff to be on the lookout for any sign in the students that they might
be hungry, and to advise them immediately, and they ( the administrators and
teachers ) all started bringing food to school so that on Fridays they could fill the
kids backpacks with enough food to get them through the weekend!

8. Since I first heard this story there hasn't been a day I didn't think about it at some
point, and it has changed forever the way I look at teachers and school staff! I've
kept my eyes and ears open lately when I visit my own daughter's school, and I've
seen and heard enough to know that this is going on in my neighborhood as well,
this problem is real and ongoing! If there is a time for action... that time is NOW!

9. Contact a local food bank, find a church that is feeding the hungry, when
someone asks for a canned food donation give as much as you can... the need
has never been greater!
I will post links to organizations in our community who can use YOUR help in the
as I evaluate each organization and determine which ones are doing what I
consider the most good.

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