2. Food For Kids Program “Because a hungry child can’t learn.” Kristin Long Harrisburg Middle School Kristin.long@smail.astate,edu

3. What is Food for Kids? The Food for Kids Program is set up to provide food for students who show educational, physical and emotional problems at school due to hunger.

4. Arkansas Rice Depot  Provides food for over 35,000 Arkansas kids  Food for Kids program in over 600 schools  Delivers food once a month to restock pantry.  Also, provides appropriate food for pregnant teens, teen moms & infants.

5. Backpacks The Rice Depot provide backpacks for the food to be sent home in eat time.  Keeps the food safe  Avoids embarrassment of other kids knowing what is going on.  Provides a easy way for the students to transport the food from school to home.

6. What kind of food is sent out?  Easy Mac  Granola Bars  Pudding  Poptarts  Ramen Noodles  Microwave Meals  Soups  Capri Suns

7. Who will be in charge?  Site Coordinator  Access to the pantry where food will be stored.  Be available when Rice Depot delivers food  Be responsible for dispersion each week.  Keep & Store backpacks  Hand them out each Friday restocked.

8. How many kids will we serve?  According to Middle School Counselor & Methodist Family Health Social Workers, there will be at least:  6 Boys  8 Girls  4 Sibling Sets  1- 2 Child Family  2- 3 Child Family  1- 4 Child Family

9. Parent Permission Since we will be sending food home each week, we are required to get the parents’ permission. o Send home letter to inform parents. o Must sign the bottom to give permission for us to send food home o Option to call the site coordinator if they do not want us to send food home o More Details on the program.

10. How will it benefit us?  Gives hunger children free meals.  Hungry kids do not preform well in school.  Reduce the number of emotional problems with students  Could potentially increase Benchmark scores.

11. Nourished children Better education Better jobs Better quality of life Better chance that he can keep someone else from starving

12. Summary  Provides Free Meals  Benefits our students  Keeps kids from starving  Provides Nutritional Food  Soups, Granola Bars  Benefit Educationally  Hungry Kids Can’t Concentrate  Potentially Increase Scores  Classroom Tests  Benchmark Tests

13. References Arkansas Rice Depot Wesbite  http://ricedepot.org/index.asp Food for Kids Website  http://ricedepot.org/ffk.asp?t=Food For Kids