I came across this article from The Herald Online Voice of the People - May 8, 2012, and it urges the school to continue to provide food service to the students, meaning, schools will continue to offer free or reduced lunch and breakfast to students who are eligible to the service. Several people commented on the article, while one of them was saying and I quote: "...let everyone feed their own children. You have to be a pretty sorry individual if you cannot feed your own child!"
I came from an economically challenged family and during my elementary school days up to high school, I could feel how my parents struggled with our finances to keep us from school. My mom, has a great vision for all of us and I remember her saying that education is the only treasure she can give to us. Despite of the difficulty of money, my parents was able to send all of us to school and she never failed to have us eat our breakfast and packed our lunches each and everyday! And besides, our schools don't offer free lunch.
I am now a parent and I have a 7 year old daughter who goes to school. I am currently having financial struggle as well. But I do believe that it is the parent's responsibility to feed their children and pack their lunches before they go to school. It is our job to do these things to our kids and not the cafeteria crew!
One time, one of my students in my first block in the morning asked me for a piece of peppermint candy after class. I told him, "No, you don't eat candy early in the morning. It has sugar in it." And he replied, "But I am hungry." I did not believe in him because who's parent who will send a child in school with empty stomach? Now, it makes sense to me. And I agree, the performance and the academics of the child are affected.
Poverty is everywhere. But I never let poverty blocked my way to get the education I deserved. Thanks to my hardworking Mom and my siblings.
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