Our first stop of the morning brought us to Nevada, where we visited with Nevada Community School District Central Elementary School Principal, Chris DeNeui, Student and Family Development Specialist, Jodi Heeren and Assistant Principal, Travis Temple, and delivered 2,000 Power Snack coupon booklets and pork sticks for food-insecure children in the community.
According to Chris, who has been in education for more than 20 years, students need full bellies to be able to focus, feel safe, learn and participate in class.
“Kids who are hungry oftentimes struggle with behaviors, lack energy and complain about their stomachs hurting,” she explained. “They also lack focus and can be very easily distracted.”
Power Snack, a program of Iowa Select Farms and the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation, empowers children to be superheroes and make their own “Power Snacks” at home—delicious, nutritious deli ham and whole wheat bread sandwiches. Four times throughout the school year, children identified as food-insecure will receive a booklet containing a $5 coupon for deli ham and a $3 coupon for a loaf of whole wheat bread. The value of Power Snack coupons donated to Central Elementary is $16,000 and more importantly, will provide enough supplies to make 24,000 ham sandwiches.
“I am so excited that Iowa Select Farms’ program helps us provide families a healthy, protein-filled snack,” said Chris. “Every opportunity we have to help our families helps our students.”
Central Elementary also participates in the BackPack Program and has a food pantry available for students and their families to help combat hunger in their community. Power Snack coupons and pork snack sticks supplement ongoing efforts to take a stand against childhood hunger in their community.
