Weekend Packs

 

 

"Sometimes asking "why" is not the right question - however, asking "why not" may lead to the right answer..."

I am going to let some in on a little secret. Some already know this, so for them it will not come as too much of a shock. In the county we live in, in the school district my kids went to school in, we have a real problem with hunger. And it is growing. For most of us, we just don't understand. We don't see it. We look around our neighborhoods, and everything appears to be fine. But it is there. In fact, in this school district alone, we have hundreds of kids who are homeless, hungry, or hurting.

Here is the sad truth. Monday through Friday, many kids are able to eat based primarily on getting free or reduced meals in school. Come the weekend, that benefit stops. Many of these kids go hungry until they get back to school on Monday morning. Before you start asking "why", and trust me, I have - one must just "do". I have had to reconnect the severed connection between by head and my heart to get involved in this.

One of the things I have learned from studying this problem is a basic truth. These kids don't enjoy this. Most are embarrassed by it. Some are angry with the state of their home life. However, I think one truth we can all agree on is this - the fact we have hungry kids in our midst is intolerable. That is the bad news.

Here is the good news. We can fight back against hunger. We can do something about this problem. More and more schools and youth drop in centers are offering "weekend packs". They are filled with enough easy to prepare food to allow these kids to have meals on Saturday and Sunday. The food is not a feast, but it is enough to get by on.

If you are interested in helping, contact your school district. They will get you connected with churches, drop in centers, or social services agencies that collect and distribute food for weekend packs. Our church is collecting this weekend. We hope to collect enough food to make thousands of weekend packs to be used right here in our community. None of us can do everything, but we all can do something.