 RA is a private Christian School in Fairfield, Alabama. There are 500 students from kindergarten to 12th grade. This school has a 100% graduation rate. They provide a faith based curriculum.
For the 2014-2015 school year, we provided approximately 300 sack lunches for the school to keep on hand for students who haven't a lunch. The lunches include a chef boy ardee, a pudding cup, bag of goldfish, 8 oz bottle of water, spoon, napkin and scripture card. Each of the lunches costs about $3.00 each.
The 3rd and 4th grade classes decorated lunch bags, filled the bags, and then enjoyed a pizza lunch provided by Sarge's Café.
Childhood hunger is a problem in our schools that threatens the very foundation of our children education. We're in danger of losing an entire generation of leaders, innovators and problem-solvers. Our goal is to provide meals and non-perishable food for school children who don’t have enough at home and may depend on the breakfast and lunch programs in their schools. Paying special attention to school lunches in our school children is especially important for securing their livelihood and abilities not just during primary education, but also for later in life. Sarge’s Café, Inc. can do this for as little as $3.00 can give a child a meal.
Currently, Sarge’s partners with a private Christian School in Fairfield, Alabama by providing sack lunches for students who may not have a breakfast or lunch.
Lunch programs are often associated with "vulnerable children" but lunch programs have proven to be ideal for all parents, who are increasingly busier all the time or may simply see the benefit of providing a hot lunch to children during the day. The benefit of any lunch program is that it provides a good square meal in the middle of the day, the best kind of "brain food." The concept makes life easier for parents and can target children's nutrition, always a concern. Students also benefit from eating together with less peer pressure from meal comparisons and other concerns.
Inadequate quantity and quality of food affects the health and wellbeing of children in several ways. Food insecurity is a huge risk to the “growth, health, cognitive, and behavioral potential”. Most behavioral, emotional, and academic problems are more prevalent among hungry children than non-hungry children. Food insecurity is linked to lower math scores, greater problems getting along with peers, poor health status, and higher prevalence of illness.
 A study by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine found that those children aged 6–11 years in food insufficient homes had lower arithmetic scores, were more likely to have repeated a grade, seen a therapist, and had more difficulty getting along with peers than similar children in food secure homes. Additionally, hungry children are much more likely to have clinical levels of psychosocial dysfunction. They also show greater signs of anxious, irritable, aggressive, and oppositional behaviors than low- income, non-hungry peers.
In addition to being at a greater risk for these behaviors, children without access to adequate diets face challenges to physical health that make them more prone to illnesses. Illnesses and such adversities lessen the amount of time students can spend learning and attending school.
Sarge’s Café with your help is MAKING A DIFFERENCE! |
