Peace, love, and lunch

Working together to end hunger in our community...


My son is a third grader at the Integrated Arts Academy, and this past Thursday he was part of a wonderful fundraiser for our friends at Hunger Free Vermont called  Fill the Bowl.  It's an annual event put on each holiday season by the two third grade classrooms, their wonderful teachers, and parent and staff volunteers.
The idea is amazing.
 Throughout the season the kids talk about hunger in their community, and how they can help. The classes meet with an artist at the BCA clay studio downtown and learn to make bowls on the pottery wheel as well as pinch pots. Then they solicit donations from area restaurants for soup and bread. Local artists donate pottery bowls for a silent auction.
At the event the bows made by kids are for sale for $5 each, and the artist-made bowls are auctioned. Everyone who buys a bowl gets a ticket for soup and bread, and everyone eats together. It's lovely, and the very best part is the pride the kids feel in the night. It's a true community event, and  couldn't be prouder of my son, or his school.





Over at BCS, we're getting ready for winter break and we know it will be hard for some families to get by without all the snacks and lunches that we prepare on the days we are closed.
We  know that the end of the month can be especially hard if 3 Squares benefits are running out.
 This year Sarah had the fantastic idea of preparing to-go bags full of ingredients for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks (along with recipes and suggestions) for families to take home. She sent out a letter to families explaining the idea with space to sign up to take a bag,  help pack up bags, or donate to fill a bag for another family.  We are filling the bags this week, and will be sending them home with as many families as possible on Friday.
In addition, you can now donate directly to support the food program through our website!
Here's the info on our food bag idea from the Get Involved page...


The Growing Food program 

BCS now serves over 30,000 snacks and meals each year.  Bi-monthly dinners, supported by City Market,  regularly attract 60 parents,  staff members,  children,  and relatives who cook and eat together,  learning more about the meals we serve during the day and enjoying family style eating.  Over 120 family members and community partners joined us for our annual Family Feast on November 16.   Through our nutrition program we are able to see the many positive outcomes for children who are well fed in the hours they are at school.  These include positive behavior,  improved social interactions,  energy for active play and daily outings,  and growing interest in trying new foods.  For children from homes where food is scarce,  these effects are even more pronounced:  fewer illnesses,  better school attendance,  lower anxiety about getting enough to eat,  and the ability to regulate their eating based on cues from their bodies. When children know they are going to have enough to teat,  they can begin to enjoy food.
A gift of $15 allows us to send home enough for breakfast and lunch for 5 days.  And additional $5.00 allows us to add fresh produce to the bag.  A larger donation will help us make much needed upgrades to our kitchen so that Erinn can process and store more fresh produce to use throughout the winter and take better advantage of free produce from our neighbors at the Intervale.

What better way to support our community, and get into the holiday spirit?  
I'm so proud of our neighborhood, our schools, and our kids. Thanks for thinking of folks who are hungry this season. And thanks for reading.
 Peace, love, and lunch.
Happy Holidays.
Love,
Erinn

Thanks.
















We served Thanksgiving Family Dinner  on Friday November 16th. We had a big crowd, fantastic food, and a lot of fun. We have so much to be thankful for! Like...
Amazing preschoolers! Our big kids peeled 40 pounds of potatoes, and tore bunches of kale leaves for salad to help prepare for the big dinner.
Our families! BCS parents donated veggies, bread, and apples for the feast!
City Market, as always! Thanks to their generous donation family dinners are always free for everyone.
Farm to Preschool, for including a beautiful write up on BCS family dinners in their Fall newsletter!
And so much more.
I have more to share, about our latest session with nutrition coordinator Caroline on snacks made with root veggies, our Mayor Miro Weinberger participating in the Hunger Free VT challenge, and some new recipes we've been working on. Next time!
xo
Erinn