I have on my flame suit and inviting everyone to jump onboard. I was just watching Wed.'s Today show. They had a piece on children and hunger. Apparently, principals have picked up on kids sneaking home their lunches to eat later, not only for themselves, but for other siblings too. I'm sorry, but in this land of plenty, this is just unacceptable. I am shocked. I know that we had a thread previously about free lunches, whatever. Does anyone accept the fact that kids are trying to be rational, and decide if they would rather eat early in the day or later, or even have to worry about how their brothers and sisters would eat? Am I the only one that this seems so wrong, on so many levels?? I know people talk about wanting to cut the fat, etc... but why in the world, with all the crazy govt. spending, retirement, would anyone EVER suggest cutting school funding?? I am really just sick. It's not kids fault if their parents are crackheads, get food stamps and sell them, etc. I am sick of people wanting to cut the very programs that help our kids, THEY CAN'T GO OUT AND GET A JOB!! Hello, they are defenseless!! I don't care if their parents drive Lamborghinis, if they refuse to buy their kids food, let our govt. help!! They have so many programs that are absolutely ridiculous! Cut them!!

Not everyone on free lunch is a crackhead, selling food stamps, or living high on the hog while claiming not to. In today's America, many are hard working people who simply do not make enough anymore to make ends meet. People would rather assume that isn't the case though, b/c it's so easy to point the finger at others they know nothing about.
However, in today's economy, we have what's being called the working poor. Parents who work hard but can't make enough to pay for food, electricity, rent, childcare, gas, insurance, clothing, water, etc because prices are just through the roof.

Working poor struggle to get by | Philadelphia Inquirer | 04/08/2008

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Are they cutting spending for the FREE Lunch program or across the board? I know here, we have had many cuts in the educational funding. Personally, I think they got a little too glutenous (sp?) when real estate was so high, hence taxes were higher. I would love to see Gov't spending cut in frivilous areas, too.

I don't see anything wrong with kids bringing home some of their school lunch, except if they forget it in the class, then there could be a bug or rodent situation, I guess.

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OK, I just had to edit my entire post because I completely misread what you'd written.

I agree with you completely. Kids should never suffer just because their parents are idiots, have hit hard times, or are otherwise unable to provide.

The notion of kids depriving themselves of lunch in order to share with their siblings is heartbreaking.

I am afraid it is only going to get worst.
Estimates are 28 million people will receive food stamps this year. (most ever). Food banks are short on donations, because more people are coming in to see if they have anything.

Also, some school districts are looking to going to a 4 day school week (longer hours but a day shorter) because of raising energy/gas prices. Which, will probably bring more added problems to families, daycare, no free lunch for that day.

They should be ashamed of themselves from wanting to cut back on lunch programs. I know a lot of people disagree, from the last thread about free lunch. But wanting to cut back the program because kids are trying to save their food for later to feed themselves or siblings? Come on!! I think those who are in favor of it need to head down the Yellow Brick Road to fetch a heart.

DS school has a great program, they call it the "Kiddie Pantry" where kids (low income) are allowed to shop in the pantry 1o minutes on Friday every week. They ask for donations (sent on Thursday), which they always get plenty, of food items that are easy to make, for kids. I normally send in peanut butter, jelly, bread, easy mac, crackers, juice boxes, cans of soup, hot dogs, bags of apples and snack items. When we first moved here I thought it was an odd program, but I have grown to love it. I love that the school administration and community cares for these kids outside the school.

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It is a shame that the US spends so much on other countries in food aid, money for AIDS in Africa, emergency aid to places like Myanmar, these are just a few examples, but we can't take care of our own. I am not saying that these other things are not worthy things to contribute to, but I think we should take care of our own people first. Hunger has ALWAYS been a problem in this country, it is nothing new. I imagine that it has to be getting worse though with the high gas prices and high food prices, it makes it harder on everyone, but especially on low income people.

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I remember being in school decades ago, and a little boy used to collect the other kids' unwanted solo cups of cole slaw. He really hit the jackpot on cole slaw days, since it was so unpopular. I remember he could fit nine full solo cups in to his metal lunch box.

It is sad. Kids should be given the opportunity to eat good lunches (and breakfasts) through free lunch/reduced cost programs. The most direct impact for education is that kids will have the energy and attentional focus on school. As several posters have pointed out, it's not the kids' fault that they are in the financial situation they're in.

Yes there's abuse of this system, and as always, there are people who find the loopholes. But that isn't enough reason to undermine such an important program. I am also in favor of free/reduced breakfasts in communities where the kids are otherwise not going to get a substantial breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day!

AMEN, the US needs to wake up and start taking care of our own

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GO #24 JEFF GORDON

Our school district has a great free lunch program. Our cuts are taken by losing teachers (ugh) and other means (wish it was cutting the salary of the superintendant). We also have a lunch program over the summer. One school in the district (different one each year), hosts the program. Every weekday of the summer, kids 18 and younger can get a free hot lunch at the host school. You don't have to qualify or live in the town even...just show up. Parents/adults are $2 each. I have never gone to this (schools haven't been near us in recent years) but I know a lady who goes every day. The school admin told me the more kids that go, the more money the get from the govt program that supports it. So I think that's great. I could go, you could go....doesn't matter. Kids just get a nice lunch for free

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They have this same program essentially at our school, except the PTA gets bags ready for the kids on Friday based on how many children they have living at the home so they will have food for the weekend.

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One of our local foundations provides "Feed -n- Fun" during the summers. They provide free sack lunches to ANY child who comes to the specific parks/playgrounds. They do hot dogs, hamburgers, PB&J, and chicken patty sandwiches on a rotating basis. It's located at 9-10 of the parks (one of which is adjacent to Govt. Funded Housing site)

I absolutely think this is one of the best programs I have ever seen!
The program gets a little federal funding, but for the most part it's ran on donations and fund raising efforts.

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That is one of the neatest programs I've ever heard about!

You're right: your school administration and community obviously have stepped up for these kids.

We have a few schools here located in the "poorer" districts that offer free breakfast and lunch to students 18 and younger. The good part is they don't ask for any proof you need it but on the other hand I have a friend who takes her 3 kids daily and she doesn't need it. That is what frustrates me the most, all the people who take advantage of free programs but are still able to go out to dinner and buy things they do not need.

The Federal Govt does not care about you or me. I don't say that to be mean or to tivialize anything. They really truly for the most part do not give a damn about a regular working person unless they personally know them.

They don't care if poor kids are going hungry. They only offer free lunches etc because if they did not the people would uprise and have a revolution. To them if a poor kid dies that is one less welfare case to provide for down the line.

The sooner people realize that we have to take care of things in our communities ourselves the better off we will be. Govt programs are a band aid so the neighbors won't see our kids' wounds. That's all they are.

They are important to the people they serve and if eneded tomorrow there would be alot of suffering. But make no mistake the people who are in power are mostly there because they found a way to bend, break, and make special rules so things will go their way.

I work for the Federal Govt and in the last three years I have made countless suggestions that would cost nothing or little to implement that would save the taxpayers and govt resources millions of dollars and I am ignored. Nay I am worse than ignored I am constantly being put on notice and chastised for trying to do my job in a way that is accountable. I often wish I could blow the lid off my agency.

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I get frustrated at the people who expect the government to take care of their kids. The get food stamps and free lucnhes because they are "entitiled to it". UMMMM NO you really arent.
In one of the districts here all the school supplies on the first week of school are put in a bin and then the kids "shop" for what they want... So if you spend 3.99 on Crayolas, you child may wind up with 0.99 cent cheapies... But that is because parents complained and felt that their kids were "entilitled" to the nicer things too...
They are entilited to it if the parents get jobs and work for it.

And that link to the story that was posted just REALLY pisses me off!! She is 47, her hubby is 32. She has kids that are in their 20's that she could not afford... so what did she do?? HAD ANOTHER ONE WITH HER HUBBY!!
Wrong wrong wrong... take care of the ones you have before bringing in another mouth you cant feed!

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I really don't think that the gov't doesn't care if people live or die. To me that sounds like the thoughts expressed after Hurricane Katrina. I absolutely agree that we need to take care of each other, and that means EVERYONE doing something. I also believe that charity begins at home. I used to donate so much to the agencies that help others, then a friend got me thinking that I should do more for my own family and friends.

Anna, I know exactly how it goes with those suggestions when you work for the gov't. Everyone seems to have their own agenda, and don't have the time or desire to listen to what someone else has to say, sadly.

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this all makes me wonder-I just read in the Sunday paper that 17% of the kids in our United States do not get enough to eat. I thought this number sounded extremely high. DH and I thought that might be a misprint, but maybe after reading all of this, it's not. That is so sad when so much aid is going from us to other countries, but almost 1 in 5 kids here are going to bed hungry????

Jaded - I wasn't meaning that at all. What I meant is I don't care what the deal is about how the parents got the Food Stamps, I was just glad that hopefully the kids would be getting food. Hence, not paying for their parents mistakes. By no means would I ever make such a bold assumption. They can drive whatever they want to as far as I'm concerned. I am just so bothered by this whole thing. I have never heard of programs like the "Kiddie Pantry". That is fantastic! I need to work on getting something like that going here.

DH was a "free lunch kid" while he was growing up. His mother never worked, and he lived with many different relatives. He has told me stories about fighting cockroaches for boxes of corn flakes.


I am just glad that there are these types of programs out there.

My son's school offers free breakfast to ANY student who wants it in the morning. No income check.

We do not qualify at all for free hot lunch for him, but he does occasionally (1-3x/month) have the free breakfast. Normally after a morning club he goes to.

I also agree that the "kiddie pantry" sounds like a neat idea. I hate the thought of children going hungry on the weekends.

My son has a friend - well, "fair weather" friend who comes over on occasion (when there is nothing better for him to do) who is one of those poverty level type children. He has 3 brothers and lives with his father, who does not work.

He can put down 3 peanut butter & jelly sandwiches easily. He has come over at 2pm and said he has not eaten all day (normally near the end of the month). I am always shocked at the amount of food he can eat.

There is a summer program here, sponsored, that allows children to come to one of four different parks locally and get a free lunch - no income requirements - during the summer. I think that is a great idea too!

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You are judging a woman who can't work now because she has a brain tumor? Seriously? Wow.

Did you read the article? She worked 50 hours a week before she had to stop because of a brain tumor.

The haves have not a clue.

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And some of the have nots have not for a very good reason! Only a loser keeps having babies they know they can't support. Sandra Walerski is 47 now so she was still having babies at age 44 when (according to her) her family didn't have enough money to get by before the brain tumor she claims to have now. She has four kids and and she was still creating them even while in her mid-forties that she can't feed. Same old story and same old refrain by the people too stupid to see a connection. You'd think you'd stop creating children when you can't support the ones you have but no, Sandra just whines about how hard life is for her. That ridiculous article is just an obvious plea for donations and so slanted that it's nauseating. If things are so tough for Sandra then she should stop eating so much and spend that money on real expenses. Check out her picture! She complains about how they have no money for food but Sandra isn't in any danger of starvation. She has a double chin and looks VERY well fed to me. Overly fed, to be blunt. Sandra looks exactly like the Christmas pig. All that's missing is an apple in her mouth to complete the picture! I doubt she has a brain tumor at all but I'm sure her sob story will bring in the donations and she can eat her way up another dress size while she complains about her lack of food. I did enjoy the part where Sandra complained about how her friends are struggling so terribly to support their seven children on only $67,000 a year. I can't work up any sympathy for people like this but if you can, send them a check immediately so they can create child number eight in comfort!

Generally speaking: Healthy food is more expensive. Lean meats cost more than hamburger. Fresh fruits and vegetables are very expensive (at least here they are). The things that are cheap are usually: potatoes, rice, hamburger, etc. which can lead to weight gain. Also if she actually does have a brain tumor that could be having some effect on her hormone levels which in turn could make her gain weight.

I don't know the woman's history. I don't know whether she has a brain tumor or not. I don't know if they were doing OK (financially) prior to finding out that she had a brain tumor(assuming she does have one).
I guess what I'm trying to say is this: It's really easy to judge a person based on one small article, but that article may not provide a complete view of the situation.

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