1. What about weekend "backpack programs"? Don't they fill in where school lunches and breakfasts end?

"While extremely well intentioned, backpacks arriving at home on Friday afternoon seldom have a chance to last throughout the weekend. Usually, if the household is "food insecure," the other family members are hungry as well. The child is faced with sharing his or her food with them."

2. What about summer feeding programs at school? Don't they meet these kids' needs?

For children to continue to receive free breakfasts and lunches during the summer, they must be enrolled in a specific summer program (such as "summer reading") and must be able to get to and from school. These programs only reach a small number of the "twenty-eight per cent" who live in "food insecure" households. In Bay County alone, the "twenty-eight percent" is equivalent to approximately 8,000 children.

3. What about food stamps? Don't most of these children live in homes who receive food stamps?

Some, but not all, of these "at risk" children live in households who receive food stamps. Household income requirements are confusing and ever-changing. If these families do receive some assistance, it's important to remember that food stamp benefits have recently undergone severe cuts. With food prices continuing to rise, with no end in sight, food stamps buy less and less.

4. What about the adults who "milk the system"?

Whether or not the adult family members are sincerely needy or not is a separate issue:

The bottom line is that these innocent children "don't have a choice and don't have a voice."

FOOD4KIDZ is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All contributions are tax deductible. Your support—great or small— will go a long way to feed our area’s hungry children!

Food4Kidz is a registered non-profit charity with the State of Florida. Our registration number is CH 35160. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) within the state or by visiting www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com.