by John Puder, Regional Manager for Child Hunger Outreach, Houston Regional Office __ The COVID-19 pandemic has become an unending nightmare for so many of us. From the inconvenience of wearing a mask to the terrifying fear that a deadly virus is at our doorstep, 2020 has been a year of hiding at home for […]
Read more "It’s What They Do: School Nutrition Staff in the Age of COVID"There’s a reason the phrase “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” has been drilled into our heads. If you miss breakfast, chances are your entire day is thrown off-course—you’re hungry long before it’s time for lunch, meaning you have difficulty focusing on work. You might overeat at lunch or throughout the day […]
Read more "Back to School, Back to Breakfast"Written by: Craig Nash, Child Hunger Outreach Specialist, Texas Hunger Initiative – Waco Regional Office By the time buses arrive at La Vega Elementary School to deliver their precious cargo to teachers and administrators for the day, Melissa McGough and her Child Nutrition Team have been busy for almost two hours preparing to meet the […]
Read more "Let’s Make Breakfast the Norm"At Together at the Table 2015, our Summit program highlighted a few of the many individuals working to end hunger in their communities. Learn more about each of these “Hunger Heroes” and their work in our latest blog series, and get ready to be inspired! First up—a Central Texas school nutrition director who is helping […]
Read more "Hunger Heroes: Child Nutrition Director goes above and beyond at La Vega ISD"A third grader sits at his classroom desk, tears streaming down his face. He isn’t paying attention to the lesson. “What’s wrong?” his teacher asks with concern. “My stomach hurts,” he replies. The same scenario plays out the next morning, and the morning after that. His teacher, Shelly Lyles, begins to put the pieces together. […]
Read more "Hunger in the Classroom"Something interesting took place in Texas this past 83rd Legislative Session. Freshmen lawmakers started a tradition known as “Purple Thursdays,” wearing purple ties as a symbol of bipartisanship. Color choice for a necktie might seem like an insignificant subtlety, but the message was incredibly powerful. The ties were a symbol and reminder of their determination […]
Read more "Purple Ties at Breakfast"When we think of hunger, images of developing nations often come to mind—high numbers of deaths from starvation and children with distended bellies. But hunger is also rampant in America. It’s just harder to see, an invisible epidemic. It manifests itself in many ways: the child whose focus wavers in class because he hasn’t eaten […]
Read more "From Hungry Kid to Culinary Master"It’s back-to-school time! Heading back to the classroom provides a routine for students and their parents, but it also marks the start of a busier schedule. Gone are the carefree days of summer—it’s back to homework and school events, early mornings and late evenings. While early mornings can be especially hectic, many of us realize […]
Read more "TwEAT Your Breakfast. Create awareness."It has been an exciting week for the Texas Hunger Initiative. Last Thursday, Senate Bill 376, the “Breakfast Bill,” passed the Texas House of Representatives and now moves forward to the governor’s office. And yesterday, House Bill 749 passed through the Senate Committee on Government Organization with a unanimous vote. In this bill, it is […]
Read more "An Exciting Week for THI: Legislation Moves Forward, Kids’ Voices are Heard"We’ve all had awful cafeteria experiences during our childhood. Irving ISD located outside of Dallas, Texas, is changing this less-than-stellar reputation by revamping how they serve food to their students. More importantly, they address the growing issue of children coming to school hungry and recognize that a hungry child cannot learn. March 4-8 was National […]
Read more "Another Reason To Hate Monday"