OKLAHOMA CITY -
There's a
growing need in Oklahoma City Public Schools for food assistance programs, but
it doesn't stop there. Many children also need food over the weekend.
News 9 goes
Beyond the Bell to fight childhood hunger with the Food for Kids backpack
program.
Every
Friday afternoon, thousands of Oklahoma City Public School students pick up a backpack
filled with nutritious foods to keep them from going hungry over the weekend.
"They need
it. There's lots of kids here that need this program," said Kindergarten
teacher, Rachel Leforce.
Leforce
sees that need firsthand, in her classroom.
"We have a
student in my kindergarten class and he is on the program and we have, on Fridays,
our PTA sell popcorn. So today as a treat, I bought everybody popcorn and he
proceeded to crawl all over the floor, picking up every teeny tiny morsel off
the floor, trying to eat it, 'cause he's hungry and he doesn't know if he's
going to eat when he gets home,'" said Leforce.
Leforce
sees and hears situations like that all the time; evidence that many students
don't get something as basic as food when they go home from school.
"Knowing
today that I sent food home that's going to allow him the right nutrition to
help him grow up and be healthy, is important because you know, he's eating
popcorn off the floor," said Leforce.
Leforce
says it's difficult not to get emotional because she knows, without this
program some of her students would literally starve over the weekend.
"Being able
to provide them with additional resources helps us feel like we're helping the
whole child, not just that seven hours a day," Leforce said.
The
backpack program serves more than just Oklahoma City Public Schools. More than
13,000 students in central and western Oklahoma depend on the food-filled
backpacks across many school districts.
School
officials say if your family needs some extra help, do not be embarrassed, just
contact your child's teacher.
For more
information on how you can support Food for Kids, go to www.News9.com/foodforkids
Every Friday afternoon, thousands of Oklahoma City Public School students pick up a backpack filled with nutritious foods to keep them from going hungry over the weekend.
