Did You See...? / How to Help?

Ok, I cried reading this and the response from Tat2d. I'm going to see if there is anything I can do in town here. I can't fathom my children, or anyone else's going to bed hungry because they can't afford to put food on their plates.

My mom works in a Low income middle school.

She is terrified for some of her students over the breaks in school, and summer time.

The schools and surrounding churches, make up back packs of food. School supplies, and a few get vouchers for the uniforms. Three times a year, to ensure the kids have stuff at home and for at school.

I have seen it in my neighborhood. My sitter used to live next door to me. She had 3 other siblings. Mom worked full time, plus, had a second job. Dad, well dad thinks he is a RAPPER. Slept all day. Was out partying all night. Sometimes he did not come home.

The summer we moved in, my sitter and I became very close. She was watching my kids in the evening everyday so I could work.

I noticed the kids were ALWAYS hungry when they came over to my house. They would ask for anything I could give them.

I asked Erynn what their situation was like over at the house. And if they needed food during the day. Her reply made my heart sink. Mom is working full time. Her full time job ONLY covers the rent(which was less then ours). Her part time job covers power. Her dads job covers her dad. they are on food stamps. But they only receive $150 month, For a family of 6. I asked her what they had in there house to eat right now?? She said ''A can of fruit, some waffles, a bag of chips for EJ and some juice''. She had fed them the last of the oatmeal for breakfast.

I could not call child services. The dad was(is)a piece of poo, but the mom truly is working her butt off for them.

That summer I took on feeding four extra kids. I told them the day before what we would be having for Lunch. If they wanted food they could come, no questions asked. Everyday, those kids showed up.

When they moved, I was scared out of my mind for them. They only ended up moving two blocks away. Although I do not see them as often, and our situation has changed, as bad as it has, I can not feed the as often, my kitchen will always be open to them. I will always have a small snack for them if they are here.

My mom puts money aside every year after tax returns come back. She has a handful of her personal students(she is a Special Education (behavioral) teacher, so her kids pretty much stay the same), that come to school with no plans for lunch. And dinner will be up to them. Seems harsh but the area around me(which is where the school feeds from)has the average income of about $21,000. Most are raising families of four or more. So she will buy staples she know the kids can make for themselves and siblings. Microwave Mac and Cheese, bread jelly and Peanut butter, that type of stuff.

Sick thing is, she has had some kids come back and tell her that the parents ''took'' the food. One sold it to neighbors for cash(I can only assume what they needed to cash for). These are kids that are already living on welfare. and have nothing.

Some Parents Thank the hell out of her for helping.

If she were to get caught with what she has done for some of the kids, she could possibly get in trouble. She can not sit back and watch kids starve from home though. and the system is to crowded to do much more about it.

Sometimes we have to take matter's into our own hands. Especially when in a nation with some much FOOD, we have kids still going to bed hungry:)

Makes me thankful for every bit of food I do have in my house...And all the leftovers from Thanksgiving I will be able to enjoy for the next few days:)

Ok... I just cried reading this.... I hope you get a lot of great responses.

My aunt was a lunchlady. One boy came to school, got this lunch and couldn't afford to pay for all of it. Instead of giving him the food and putting it on his tab, the other lunch lady grabbed his lunch tray and dumped all the food in the trash right in front of him, and sent the boy on his way with no food. What a waste, and how sad for the little boy.

Also, many agencies and charities prepare brown bags of lunch during the summer, because they know kids go hungry. Unfortunately a lot of times those parents steal those lunches themselves.

Call your local red cross, they can usually guide you to a program that does this. My husband helped prepare brown lunch bags in the Dallas area last year, can't remember who it was through though, I think the county.

The Salvation Army has a Food Backpack program. I am not sure how to donate for that specific program. Call them and see what they say. Thanks for caring !!

Do you have a Dare to Care or Second Harvest type organization there?

Or, call several churches - I'd bet one has a food pantry!

You can donate to Network of Community Ministries in Richardson. Many RISD schools participate in the Food 4 Kids backpack program through the North Texas Food Bank.

If you google for backpack programs, you can probably find one in your area. My church recently got involved for one of our local schools. I will have to look for that episode of Chopped. Most any food pantry or soup kitchen or church will take donations of food year-round.