This is one of those uncomfortable things many don’t like to either acknowledge or talk about.
A good discussion on the RealCrozetVA Facebook page led to this:
Looking at data from each school, we have about 400 kids who are likely to be hungry at school. This is a we thing, not a Crozet, or Brownsville, or Henley, or Western thing.
“Disadvantaged” students are those who receive free and reduced price meals under the federal program.
There are nearly 3,000 kids enrolled at Crozet schools; of those, these are the number of “disadvantaged” at each school:
– 95 kids at Crozet Elementary
– 109 kids at Brownsville Elementary
– 100 kids at Henley Middle
– 100 kids at WAHS
That’s 400 kids!
Think about that. And then consider donating funds or food to the schools.
Or the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank while you’re in the giving mood.
Update: great comment from Henley’s PATSO VP:
I love the idea of the community getting involved to help our local students!! I’m the Henley PATSO (aka PTO) VP (President next year) and thought I’d provide more information on our snack needs. We currently get some donations of snacks from parents and some from our Guidance Secretary who buys some out of her own pocket! When supplies get low a message goes out to Henley parents, which is what you saw in this Facebook post.
– Cost to provide snacks for students in need: approx. $100/month
– Snack Donations: we take donations but have little storage, other than bins kept in the counselors offices, so they prefer to take monthly donations of food. Snacks that middle schoolers will eat are not the same as elementary schoolers i.e. Many of the snacks mentioned for Crozet Elementary students wouldn’t get eaten at Henley. Suggestions for Henley snacks donations: individual serving packages of muffins, granola bars, Wheat Thins, Cheez-its, Ritz Crackers, pretzels
– Financial donations: monetary donations can be used to purchase snacks as the inventory gets low. We agreed that the Henley PATSO will manage monetary donations. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit so all donations are tax deductible.
We would be so grateful for donations of either kind. You can send donations to Henley PATSO at 5880 Rockfish Gap Turnpike • Crozet, Virginia 22932.
A wise person once said, “Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and feed him for a lifetime.” Why are these kids hungry? Where is the talk about attacking the cause of the problem rather than treating the symptoms forever?