Smart Sacks

I just got an email from Matthew's elementary school with a reminder about "Family Swim Night" and noticed that the cost is either $5 or one food item per person. Food for the swim night, I thought, puzzled? I read further and saw that the food will be donated to the "Smart Sacks" program run by a local food bank. Smart Sacks is a program that gives a backpack full of kid-friendly food to elementary school children at risk of hunger so they have food to eat on the weekend when there is no school breakfast or lunch.

I'm sorry but reading it just brought tears to my eyes. It has honestly never occurred to me that the kids who get subsidized meals at school may actually not have food at home. It breaks my heart to realize that yes, there are actually kids out there who have no food at home, and makes me feel like a moron for living such a sheltered life that it has never ocurred to me.

I know for a fact that it would NEVER occur to my kids; never for one minute of their lives have they had to worry about food other than to complain about what they don't like or to argue about what restaurant they want to go to.

Tonight we'll be talking about it--that's for sure. And we'll also be donating to the Manna Food Bank. If any of you are so inclined you can also donate online.