“Well-fed students are happier and perform better in school, there’s no question about it,” said Cindy DeVlaeminck, Principal at Lincoln Elementary School in Spencer. “If a teacher notices a hungry student in their classroom, we all work together to make sure that child receives something to eat. Often times, these snacks are paid for out of pocket by generous staff members.”
The Power Snack Program wouldn’t be possible without the real super heroes – the teachers who work in schools all across Iowa and do everything they can to help end food insecurity at the local level. Iowa Select Farms and the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation are honored to partner with these teachers to provide a little extra help to students in need.
Currently, the Power Snack Program is supporting 30 students at Lincoln Elementary, which comes to a total of 240 and a contribution of $960. Students enrolled in the program will receive four sets of the coupons throughout the school year, typically before extended breaks when students are not receiving meals from school lunch programs.
“Close to 50 percent of our students on the free and reduced lunch program,” DeVlaeminck continued. “The need is definitely there, so we also provide free food bags on Fridays, and those students are extremely happy to receive those bags. But those same students get nervous during longer school breaks. These coupons will help make sure students never have to wonder where their next meal is going to come from.”
