I'm livid. While I complain about not being able to eat my pie, there are kids out there that really can't eat a pie or a piece of pie. Mind you, do I think pie is the healthiest thing to eat for a kid? Why no, but you're allowed to have a treat and that includes any kids even my own. My own kids are pretty healthy and yes, certainly over eat. Thank goodness, they can. Thank goodness, they have the right to open the fridge or pantry and eat to their heart and stomach's desire. Is it always healthy? Maybe not.
This posting isn't about them. It isn't about whether eating pie is healthy. It isn't about whether the pie is organic, a lemon Hostess pie or a Burger King chocolate pie. It is about what's available to most DC children in our school systems.
The truth is the majority of the children in the DC School system come from truly challenged lower income household families some of which may or may not be receiving some government assistance. These are children that have every right to afford the same services - paid or unpaid - as those families that find them selves in some of the more affluent wards of the city.
There has been a long time debate about 1) providing healthier food options for children in DC schools and now recently 2) DC Schools have offered a third-meal alternative for children staying in the aftercare programs up until 6:00pm. The debate for kids having healthier food option is on because most kids are still not getting the healthy food options when they get to the school. They might be coming from a home where all they eat are frozen meals, food, from a can, high carbs and little or no veggies or fruit. The DC School system has traditional offered the same nutritionless meals BUT IS AT LEAST TRYING TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE and improve the menus. They have hired a new Food Services Director and I am excited about his background to explore the healthier food options for kids. So, in the mix, our kids on these meals are still challenged nutritionally but there is a movement to change that. Then, comes the third meal!
Apparently, many of these kids are going home with only the meals they receive at school. Some families are not providing more food for their kids when they go home. They can't afford it. Food options are lean at home and a healthy meal is not always available. Hence, the school system has introduced this. I think they are right on point!!!!!
Yet, naysayers are angry that these kids get a free "ride" or meal (those Tea Party-ers). How can food-stamp, medicaid, low income families get more? How dare they just throw away our tax dollars? Naysayers don't think kids stay hungry. They don't know what it is to be growing up any more. They don't care about nutritional values and about taking in the right amount of nutritional calories and the combination of thereof. It's all about whether how many families are taking advantage of the "welfare" system and why should we feed someone else's kid?
My goodness. It's disgusting. It's a child, for goodness sake! This is someone we are investing our future with, a future good citizen of society. You don't care since you look away at the countless new and old homeless people living among us every day now. But, you still don't want to let that kid eat that meal? Let them pay the sins of their parents. Let those low income or middle income kids (from struggling families) continue drinking their dyed red Hi-C drink and their moon pies with what little money they scramble up. They don't need some nutritional value to help them learn their way to school or feel energized to concentrate six hours of the day. For most, they spend more than nine hours out of the day out of the home and should be able to tote their nutritional meals with them. Or at least pay for them. At least the law-abiding tax citizens would like us to understand.
DCist What's on the Menu
Post Article Fight Child Hunger
I am just angry about this. I will be ranting and following this for a while. I'm on a mission. - MEOW MEOW
Well hello there, I've been reading your postings and I must say I agree!
ReplyDeleteWhile I am aware that the economic system is so horrible that some poor/low-income families actually find ways to get more money out of being poor by taking advantage of/cheating the system, I still think that's no reason to refuse to aid children in need with adequate food/support.
Yes that's right, some taxpayers are probably focusing more on the possibility of low-income families leaning more heavily than necessary on a "crutch." In some cases, the parent that isn't employed and oftentimes can't find a decent-paying job, is now not even looking for one for fear that they will be taken off welfare and etc., thereby rendering him/her "crutchless" in a situation where they still are in need of government assistance.
In fact there is reason to believe that some adults that fall into the lowest of low-income families would rather use these tricks of the trade to stay alive and poor, rather than working low wages- a lifetime of struggling perhaps- just to insure that their child can live a better life. Some of these tricks include staying jobless to promote one's need for government assistance, others include going so far as to encourage pregnancy to teens because one more mouth to feed means more aid and less taxes on the entire household.
Hard to believe, right?
Probably, but more importantly... Hard To Ignore...
You'd think that people would be more likely to reason why in this day and time, welfare and food stamps are needed now more than ever, both BECAUSE of and IN SPITE OF the ways one could immorally cheat the system in fear of their own mounting needs and deepening crutchlessness.
The rare cases that could cause people to want their tax dollars to go to their own causes are not more important than the health of any child.
Either way, what would it go to if it wasn't welfare or other government assisting programs? Fixing a pothole in the sidewalk...? I mean you know there's going to be an infinite number of potholes in the street and sidewalk anyway...So why pretend you'd rather pay to have every street in the city blocked off just to fix one damn pothole when you could pay to give a child a better life, one they wouldn't have otherwise?
Anyway, I think it's great that people are finally trying to make these school lunches more nutritional...'bout time. Providing for those kids who would definitely have a harder time learning on empty, or poorly nourished stomachs is something everyone should be willing to make happen. Yeah, everyone struggles, but some are hit harder by financial instability than others.
The Snooper feels your anger, Meow Meow!