Breakfast is known as the most important meal of the day because it jumpstarts our bodies. For kids, it jumpstarts learning in school. People to People, Rockland’s largest food pantry, is stepping up its efforts to provide struggling families with what they need to help their kids begin the day with a nutritious breakfast.
Although there are vital federal- and state-funded programs that provide subsidized breakfast and lunch to children from low-income households, too often, though, kids are too embarrassed to be seen participating in them, said Diane Serratore, People to People Executive Director.
That’s why People to People is launching Rockland County Healthy Breakfast Week to be held March 4 to 10 to coincide with Kellogg’s national awareness initiative.
Kellogg’s recently kicked off its “Share Your Breakfast” promotion with ads and coupons and has also established National Breakfast Week to be held March 4 to 10. People to People is not affiliated with Kellogg’s
“One in five Rockland children lives in poverty. One in five kids in our nation goes without breakfast every day,” said Serratore. “How many more times are we going to hear that “our children are our future” before we do something about assuring that our children don’t start the day hungry? And, yes,” there are federal school breakfast and lunch programs for children from low-income families,” Serratore said. “But kids need to eat on the weekends too.”
The People to People Healthy Breakfast Week can be supported in many ways:
- Churches, libraries, firehouses, village and town halls can place collection boxes in entranceways.
- Civic and youth organizations (Rotary Clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts) can organize food drives at area supermarkets.
- Community organizations can hold Pancake Breakfasts or other events to raise funds for PtoP to purchase nutritious breakfast foods.
- Individuals can use Kellogg’s coupons to purchase breakfast cereals and then donate those items to PtoP.
In addition, financial contributions to support Healthy Breakfast Week can be made directly to People to People (via its website at www.peopletopeopleinc.org) or by calling Swati Shah, Finance Director, at 845-623-4900, ext. 210.
