Do you know that some school children have their last meal for the day at the school during lunch? As shocking as this news may sound, this is the sad reality of those from low-income homes. Most of these children don't have meals to look forward to after school because their parents or guardian can't afford dinner. Some of these individuals live from hand to mouth and that, in turn, affects these children. For this reason, after school meal programs were developed as their source of hope for good living. These programs bridge that nutritional gap that resides in most poor households; they make a great difference in the lives of these awesome children with aspiration and dreams.
How Are Afterschool Meal Programs Important?
No one can tell better how important less-privileged children find these meal programs relieving than the teachers themselves. They are the closest to these children outside the family four walls. You can see what an average school child passes through in their eyes; how they feel when the school day is over and the sad thoughts that run through their minds knowing that they may go to bed on empty stomachs. Teachers feel the pains of such students and work along with the organizers of these programs to give school children an amazing school experience.
After-meals are very essential to the development, security, and stability of a child. A No Kid Hungry Survey of low-income parents was conducted and the following discoveries were made:
59% of these parents confessed about the difficulties experienced in affording meals for their kids after school.
25% were worried about their kids left with less food to eat between school lunch and breakfast the following day.
With these reports, we can clearly understand the importance of these programs in our society. No child deserves to go to bed hungry. Hence, afterschool meal programs are established to provide schools with the available resources that will feed more children. In October 2016, almost 1.1 million low-income children enjoyed the benefits of afterschool programs, which has increased from a mere 200,000 in October 2011, based on reports from the Food Research & Action Centre. These programs have been effective in alleviating hunger and improving the quality of living. Additionally, these programs draw children to various afterschool enrichment programs. These enrichment programs provide activities for children to participate in, in return for supper. Each year, there has been a significant growth of 200,000, which slowed down in 2016.
Ways To Improve Afterschool Meal Programs
Schools have the equipment, facility, skills, and staff needed to prepare and distribute food to school children. Parents, educators, and advocates can expand afterschool meal programs by reaching out to the local school officials such as principals, school board members, superintendent, or school nutrition heads. These individuals know the inner workings of the school system. With the information provided, it becomes easy to come up with an effective afterschool meal program that will cater to the needs of children.
Furthermore, schools should be encouraged to provide meals where enrichment activities are being conducted. Study hall, tutoring, and other inspiring activities can be created to draw in more school children after school and ensure that they partake of the meal programs.
