Introductions

I would like to start by introducing myself, my name is Beth Cochran, and I am a 31-year-old college student. I attend school at Community College of Vermont in Montpelier, Vermont, am in my freshman year of a Liberal Degree for pre-med. I hope that you will find my blog very helpful. I am bringing this blog to you to help you feed your families, as well as to help you to help your community put an end to Childhood Hunger.

  If we don't do something about Childhood Hunger, who will? Too many people are going without the help they so desperately need because they are too afraid to stand up and ask for help. Why is that? Have you stopped to ask yourself…why that is? If you have not, you should. It is amazing how many people are prejudice against people on Welfare, or families receiving state aid. In this day in age, that should be unheard of, but sadly, it's not. You need not listen to what people say. The only thing that matters is your children, and as long as you know that you are doing what is best for them, everything will be all right.

  Childhood Hunger is no joking matter! It is very serious and extremely real, the question is what are we going to do about it? As caring parents or community members, it is our responsibility to make sure that we are doing whatever we can to help. We should not let our children go hungry just because we are ashamed. It should not matter what other people are going to think if you need to feed your family with food stamps, or have to go to the food shelf. The only people whose thoughts that should matter are your children.

  This blog will have many useful bits of information for you to reference, like which organizations to contact if you need help with food, or food stamps, (and where you can find those organizations.) I will be posting on different programs that are available for you to utilize thru your child's school too. Keep an eye open for links to other blogs, and different web pages. You can find them in the "Related Links" section of the blog.

  I am here not only to educate you about Childhood Hunger, but I am also here to help. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate in leaving it for me in the "Get Answers" section of my blog.
Childhood Hunger is a big problem these days, especially with the way economy has been. Many families are suffering due to the economic crisis, and they either do not know what to do to help their families, or are too proud to ask for help. In Washington County, Vermont between 2008 and 2010:

"32.4% of public school students were approved for School Meals Programs, a 34% increase since 2000.


13% of children received 3SquaresVT (food stamp) benefits, compared to 15.7% statewide.


Rates of 3SquaresVT enrollments and students approved for School Meals have both increased since 2000—which may be related to increased child poverty as well as improved outreach." (Count)

These statistics and more are available at this link: http://www.voicesforvtkids.org/ .

Another site to check out is Choice - Citizens for Healthy Options in Children's Education. Here is the link to their article on "Understanding What Children Are Eating at School" - http://www.choiceusa.net/Parents_NSLP.html .

  This article is helpful in understanding the food program at your child(ren)'s school. Not only does this site give you a brief history of the School Lunch Program, but it also gives you information on the nutrition guidelines that the school has to follow, and it even explains to you how subsidized lunches work, and how they (the school) gets compensated federally for the school lunch programs.
Did you know:

"Since the National School Lunch Act was enacted in 1946 over 180 billion meals have been served to children across the country."

 AND

"In the 2000-2001 school year alone approximately 8,000 schools -- 27.4 million children -- participated." (Understanding What Children are Eating at School)


  Make sure to look at "Feeding America." This is a very helpful site, and you can find the link in "Related Links." Not only will this site help you in get connected with your community, but it also has a "Get Help" section where you can get a list of great resources.

 

There are many great web sites out at this moment speaking of this issue, here are a few that I have found helpful in my researching of this program:

Count, Wahsington County Kids. "Vermont KIDS Count." 2000-2010. Voices for Vermont Children. 14 November 2010

http://www.voicesforvtkids.org/kids-count/kids/

Teresa, Mother. "Famous Quotes About Children and Poverty." 2000, 2002-2010 . Releasing Children from Poverty Compassion in Jesus' Name. 5 November  2010 http://www.compassion.com/child-advocacy/find-your-voice/famous-quotes/default.htm

"Understanding What Children are Eating at School." n.d. Choice. 5 November 2010 http://www.choiceusa.net/Parents_NSLP.html

Picture posted on CHOICE

Citizens for Healthy Options in Children's Education

(Understanding What Children are Eating at School)

"When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed." - Mother Teresa, Roman Catholic nun (Teresa)