Does food insecurity lead to lasting effects on education? What about child development?
As we learned last week, food insecurity and insufficiency are associated with adverse health outcomes.
We all know that children need nutrients from food so they can grow and develop. But did you know that early exposure to food insecurity has been associated with several developmental and educational consequences for U.S. children? In fact, recent studies show that among children ages 6 to 12 years old, food insecurity was associated with poorer math scores, absenteeism, tardiness, more visits to the school counselor, anxiety, aggression, and difficulty getting along with other children. It was also found that among teens, food insufficiency was associated with depressive disorders and thoughts of suicide. (Source: The Journal of Nutrition)
In addition, at the very least, children also need these nutrients from food so they can focus in the classroom. Food insecure children are often unable to concentrate in the classroom because they are hungry and are worried about when and where their next meal might come from.
The New Albany Food Pantry has made great strides in reaching the families most impacted by food insecurity in the NAPLS district. While we have developed programs that work to ensure kids get the healthy meals they need during the school year, we’re also working on programs that will help students with things such as snacks and meals to cover the weekend days when they are not in school (similar to our Spring Break boxes and Summer Meals program).
How can you help?
🥫 Donate-We are able to purchase $9 of groceries for every $1 we receive.
🤝Volunteer to help with pickups, canvassing, and more.
💁🏿Host a Food Drive; We even created a handy new Toolkit you can download that will guide you through the process.
❤️Share our Posts on social media and spread the word when we host food drives or request donations.