Rotary Club of Sarasota’s Post

Food Insecurity is a significant factor in student absenteeism For the first time in at least 50 years, a majority of U.S. public school students are from low-income families. 51% of students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade were eligible for the federal program that provides FREE and REDUCED-PRICE lunches. This lunch program is a rough proxy for poverty but the explosion of needy children in the nation’s classrooms is a recent phenomenon that has been gaining attention among educators, public officials, and social researchers. Even in wealthy Sarasota County, 52% of children were eligible for FREE LUNCHES-an an indicator of food insecurity at home meaning that they don’t have consistent access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food. Our Club in partnership with AAll Faiths Food Bank decided that we should help in alleviating this problem. In 2015 our Club/Foundation awarded AFFB a $60,000 five (5) year grant to place food pantries in all Title 1 schools in Sarasota County Schools We also committed to operating these pantries where needed. These school-based pantries are located on the school campus, making them a more readily accessible source of food assistance to families in need. They also try to be open at convenient school times so families can shop when arriving at school to pick up their children. So far, there are thirteen (13) school-based pantries in the program. Seven (7) of these are Title 1 schools. The top three (3) are Emma E Booker Elementary, Altavista Elementary School and Tuttle Elementary with Almost 95%, 92%, and 91% respectively of their students on FREE or REDUCED-PRICE lunches. The school district also provides FREE breakfasts to these schools. The Alta Vista Food Pantry was every other Thursday from 2:30pm-6pm excepting school breaks. We packed out food items for 60 families 2:30-3:30 and distribute from 3:30-6:00. During Holidays, we run Turkey Pantry, that operate like a regular Pantry, plus we would pack 125 Turkeys and Thanksgiving meal kits. #givingchallenge2024 #foodpantry #endinghunger #rotary #rotaryclubofsarasotafoundation #SarasotaCountySchools #allfaithsfoodbank #AltavistaSchool

  • No alternative text description for this image
Anthony Swart

Financial Advisor - Vice President - Investments

8mo

Great Team.

Like
Reply

To view or add a comment, sign in

Explore topics