Each day in kindergarten and first grade at every elementary school in Floyd County comes 'snack time.' Most children bring something to munch on from home. But a few don't. Maybe they forgot, or their parents did. Maybe the family budget doesn't include snacks. But it's no fun to sit at your desk with nothing when everyone around you has enough. So, we decided to make a change.
A group of folks got together in Spring of 2008 to provide a supply of healthy snacks at FLoyd Elementary School. We took turns shopping for granola bars or cheese crackers, for juice and water. We brought about 100 snacks a week to school where every teacher knew they could pop in and grab what was needed.
In the Fall we received a Community Challenge grant from Angels in the Attic to expand the program. We asked folks to match their grant and the money was tripled! Volunteers contacted the principals at Check, Indian Valley and Willis schools to work out supplying their needs. Now we are confident that when snack time rolls around EVERY child in the class has something to eat or drink. And teachers don't have to reach into their own pockets to re-supply.
Just a little problem, just a simple solution, thanks to Darla Bray, Sue Morris, Cheryl Mackian, Jimmie and Martha Bowers, Josephine Alderman, Susan Sutterer, Gayle Griffin, Katherine Palmer, Mary North, John Getgood, Don George who all donate their time and money. And our financial donors: Angels in the Attic, Anne Vaughan Designs, Rosemary Wyman, Judy Blum, Preston Boggess, Jon & Lori Day, Willis United Methodist Church, Ginny and Jack Welton, Glenda George, Dennis Ross.
And thanks to the creative fundraising of Catherine Chantal at Harvest Moon and CLif Bars.
In the Fall of 2010 Plenty! was asked to provide healthy afterschool snacks for a new program at FLoyd Elementary School. We began right away creating homemade fruit and veggie treats. Lori Kaluszka won 'most creative' with her "unfries" which were raw turnips cut to look like french fries and dipped in rance dressing. One favorite of the students was home canned applesauce (with no sugar) topped with McCabe's homemade granola. The Sowders and Virginia Neukirch often brought delicious homemade breads, muffins and cakes using fruits or carrots. Susan Pennial tried ants on a log and Glenda George created hummus bean dip. The children were somewhat wary of new tastes but many gave thumbs up after they'd tried them. Thanks to the FLoyd Feisty Filanthropists for their donation making this program possible.
