United Way food supply a big help to KC students
Charlene Large and her husband don't always both get to see their children before bedtime because of work.
But for about a month, Large at least hasn't had to worry about her children getting meals, because her son, a student at Karns City High School, takes home a box full of food for the weekends supplied by United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
United Way will provide more than 11,000 meals to Butler County through the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) grant and the Student and Families Food Fund, according to a news release from the organization.
Amy Franz, Butler region director of United Way, said Thursday that the organization will distribute about 5,000 meals to students over eight weeks through cooperation between United Way and Karns City Area School District.
“These are meals that are pre-packaged with four portions of a protein, a vegetable and a starch, and they come with rolls,” Franz said. “Then, the school district works to identify families that would benefit from the meals, and they distribute.”
Substitute Karns City teacher Roberta Fox said the school had a backpack program that supplied students with food for the weekends. The meals through United Way is basically an extension and expansion of that program, she said.
“We have a form that we send home, and it goes to every student in the district,” Fox said. “We don't question anyone, we take them at their word that they need help.”
Fox said the staff at the school has heard students say they are hungry because they don't get breakfast and sometimes don't get a full dinner after school. The boxes provide full meals that can be easily prepared, and they are prepared to be healthy for young people.
“If there's one less thing you have to think about that day, and that's dinner for your family, then that's a blessing,” said April Christy, a school psychologist.
Large said the meals have been helpful, and she encourages others not to be afraid to get help if they are in need.
“There's a lot of people that I see that say, 'We know that we can afford it, but there's more people in need,'” Large said. “So, they don't want to qualify for this, which I understand.”
