I was just reading a Dear Abby article and the writer was appalled at learning that a neighbor's children didn't have the money for school lunches. This neighbor's husband was serving his country overseas in the military and his family didn't qualify for free school lunches.

So she went to the school and paid for school lunches for the rest of the year for that family of 3 kids.

Dear Abby suggested a fund could be set up at the school for this if it is needed. Just a thought.

that is a very good, thanks for sharing this with all of us

also if you have clothes that you don't wear get them out of your closets and drawers, wash them up and give them to nursing homes, those people love clothes, purses, games etc.

Lets all help others out in need!

Early December, My lil girl came home from school and said that her friend was crying cause they didn't have milk for snack time... I called the teacher and she said some kids have to do with out as parents cant or wont send $. Now they have a running tab for any child in her classroom that wants milk, I will pay for it.. I keep an extra Lunch money fund in her backpack/folder so If there is a child with out lunch the teacher can use it..

Its not the child's fault some fall on hard times..

wow that is great

Aw, so nice!

First let me say that a I think that is WONDERFUL of you! Second, I agree with you, I am appauled that they would let a child sit there with no snack while everyone around her had milk, etc. because the parents could not or did not send money. I always told my kid's teachers that if there was a child who didn't have money for lunch, field trips, the little quarterly magazines, whatever...to let me know. I was one of those kids and can not tell you what a horrible feeling it is to be the one child sitting in the library while the rest of your class is at the ballet or the one kid who didn't get the monthly "Zoo Paper" or whatever. Sometimes the parents can't afford it and sometimes they simply choose not to send it but whatever the reason...that child will FOREVER appreciate you kindness.....so THANK YOU!!!

You are a good person. Anyone who does similar is a good person. I never thought about something so close to home, as they say.

We give money to people all over the world and our kids are hungry.

Amen. I've been thinking this same thing for a long time now.

Well this is one thing we can do in our own neighberhood. I am sure there are more things like this in our own backyard. How about contributing to your local boy scout troup or 4H group etc, It doesn't have to be money it could be teaching them something you know how to do or paying for a child to go to camp etc(some kids may not have a sleeping bag or other necessities to go camping) in your own neighborhood. Kids buy books at school also and that may be something you can contribute to. My kids bought little paperback books through the Scholastic program and I know my grands also buy books. This was hard for me to find the money for when my kids were in elementary.

Bless you all for doing this. It makes me crazy that each school doesn't have a fund for these things. How can anyone let a child sit there without a snack or worse yet, no lunch? And how can we, as a country, justify sending money all over the world when we have kids here going to bed hungry every night? Makes my blood boil.

I worked in a kidergarten room for 6 years as an aide. We always went to the zoo at the end of the school year. Several times the teacher and I would pay for the trip for students because they could afford it. Then her and I would make sure these kids were with us so we could make sure they got the extra things like ice cream, pop corn, feed for the animals. Then in the gift shop we would let them pick out something within reason. Once I had a little boy keep trying to find cheap things and asking if it was too expensive. I usually let them spend about $5.00. I'm sure his family didn't have the money and he was always told things were too expensive. Then I would write a little note on the outside of the bag to let the parents know that I had bought it so they wouldn't wonder where it came from.

that may be true, but let's not forget that children in third world countries DIE from hunger, at the rate of thousands per day. I don't think children DIE from hunger in this country. I support international charities. I know charity begins at home but the world is my home, and all children are God's children.

Also remember that there are people who translate "20% of children living below the poverty level" into "20% of children going to bed hungry every night." Not necessarily true.

That being said, bless all of you for your good deeds - you reinforce my perception that QB folks are the nicest anywhere!

It's why I don't give to charities I see too many children go without in my own country and charity begins, and ends as far as I am concerned, AT HOME.

The children of our Military should not want for a warm home nor any kind of food. I feel the least we can do is see this never happens. Afterall they are protecting our rights and freedoms.

WoW!!! Crafty!! Sometimes it takes someone else to show you what is right in front of your nose. Why didn't I think of that long ago? And I have a mom in a nursing home.
I hate giving things to Goodwill because they sell them at such high prices anymore. I would much rather give the stuff away and we have a nursing home only a mile from us. I will definitely do that next time I clean my closet out. Thanks for the heads up!!! Duh....smacking myself for being so clueless!!!

I never thought about it either.. Good idea Craftybear..

I have been saying this for years. All you have to do is go to the local soup kitchen to see how many hungry children there are right in our own country,,,with no help....but if they lived in another couontry our government would be right there.
I have always felt that if they did away with some things like,...going to the moon, space shuttles....things like that....more of our children could be clothed and fed.
But,,,,I won't get on my soapbox,,,you are all great for the help you are providing!!! God Bless You

Our elementary school has a 'dinner' every school nite for those who need a hot meal..

I think the USA should take better care of it's sons and daughters that protect us and better care of the families they leave behind. We need to really listen to the campain promises of the people we elect to office and vote against those who do not want to support the needs and rights of our service men and women.

Our schools have a "Breakfast Programme" - it's part of the United Way funding - I can direct my giving to United Way, to the local school board programme. (I'm located in southwest Ontario, Canada)

Each morning before classes, there is a small breakfast available - juice, fruit, toast, cereal, cheese - normally has something from each of fruit/veg, dairy, grain, protein food groups.

There is NO cost to the students - they drop in if they are hungry that day.

In designing the program, there was a recognition that it wasn't always even based on funding, sometimes kids aren't hungry before they get on the bus, sometimes they get motion sickness so can't eat til they get to school. Whatever the reason, the breakfast is available to any student. It is run by volunteers, with frequent donations from local producers and grocers.

It's been running for years! I'm so proud of this program - it started when my kids were in elementary school, they're now (almost all!) graduated from university.

The schools in our area have the breakfast programs too.

In our area, the kids that get a free lunch during school year, there is a summer time program where they can come and get a free lunch also. Just in the more populated areas however.