CPC: Public Wants To Assist With Students Food
The Coalition for the Protection of Children said following media coverage about their concern over some students not having food and breakfast, they have “had numerous requests from people asking how they can help make sure children are fed properly.
“One way to help is to work together with friends or co-workers to organize a collection of non perishable luncheon foods and bring them to our food storehouse.” Sheelagh Cooper from the Coalition for the Protection of Children
“We are letting families know that we do keep a supply of these items and they can come by anytime Monday to Friday to get supplies.
“Some of the items that we need the most for lunches are the following: canned tuna ,canned chicken, mayonnaise, crackers, cheese, canned soup, peanut butter, tortilla wraps.
“We feel it is better that these lunches are prepared and brought from home that is why we provide this opportunity directly to the mothers.
“At the end of the day though while we will not see any child go hungry we realize that this approach is just putting a band-aid on what has become a serious systemic problem in our community.
“When things reach this point is is beyond the capacity of any charitable organization to solve..this has become a problem that requires some serious changes to government policy and legislation that relates to whether we believe that a essential nutrition for children is a basic human right or is it a privilege.
“If we believe that every child in our community deserves to be feed properly [and I think most of us would agree on that] then it becomes a question of how we achieve that goal.
“That is where people tend to disagree..but this is something that we can no longer afford to just talk about it is time to look at the various ideas that have been promoted which include a minimum wage, the provision of a guaranteed sustainable income, a governments subsidized food program in schools, increased taxation on the high income earners, reduced fixed deductions on low income earners,to name a few. There are a myriad possibilities but very different views on which of these makes the most sense.”
“While we work at this very basic level feeding children at the Coalition, we are more than aware of the fact that we are essentially making a bad system look good by continuing to prop this situation up but we will continue to do what we do with the co existing commitment to press for fundamental and systemic change.”
Many of the people who pick up the food eat it themselves or is used by other layabout residents.
Fact.
There is a crucial need to ensure everyone is properly fed.
Without intending to sound heartless, we need to make sure we are solving the correct problem before we recommend solutions.
In Bermuda, there are many individuals, groups, churches and agencies that help families directly and through our schools. Many prefer to do so anonymously since their motives are singularly to provide assistance as opposed to getting public recognition.
A challenge for Bermuda is to better understand the genuine need and thereby avoid abuse. One of the ongoing challenges is economics and priorities. I continue to be amazed at the number of parents that complain about a lack of funds but allow their children to have ‘name brand everything’, the latest version of cell phone (that keeps changing as new models become available) and to buy lunch at school everyday.
Therefore, whilst we work to provide a solution for those that are in genuine need, lets be careful not to create a new group of people that believe they are entitled to receive more from government on a permanent basis.
Whilst I am posting, does anyone think there is an opportunity to provide business financing that will create jobs as opposed to spending $50m on financial assistance… it is better to teach me to fish rather than feed me…
Could someone please tell me if social services is called if these children are showing up to school with no breakfast and no lunch? I think this should be law. And if social services finds that these people truly can’t afford food then they need some assistance. If they find that the parents have cell phones, cable tv, and a frig full of beer then well you know they need to be held accountable period.
Agreed. I’m all about looking out for the children but we need to know the root cause. If parents are struggling then maybe they are enrolled in the program. Weed out irresponsible parents.
“One way to help is to work together with friends or co-workers to organize a collection of non perishable luncheon foods and bring them to our food storehouse.”
What is the location of the food storehouse?
It is a shame the Coalition did not avail itself of various grant processes and continue to apply for assistance. At least one charity wanted to continue to support the breakfast Programme but couldn’t as they didn’t apply. Why not? They failed our kids on that.