Feeding, clothing children is focus of symposium

Sussex County’s children highlighted a symposium designed to provide schools with resources to help clothe and feed students in need.

The Feeding and Clothing Our Children symposium, hosted by southern Delaware’s Rotary Clubs at Sussex Central High School Oct. 5, connected school officials with state and nonprofit leaders who run programs to meet these needs.

About 50 school counselors, nutritional staff and social workers learned how the Harry K Foundation, Delaware Department of Education, Food Bank of Delaware and Clothing Our Kids help local school children.

Harry Keswani, founder of the Harry K Foundation, said his goal was to end childhood hunger in Delaware.

“I was raised by parents who faced struggles on a daily basis, and as an adult I personally witnessed the effects of hunger in India,” he said. “Delaware is filled with families unable to regularly feed their children.”

Through his foundation, Keswani raises funds to support Delaware Food Bank’s school backpack programs, which send children home over the weekend with a supply of meals. The foundation has also created more than 30 school-based food pantries in Delaware.

“We do everything in our power to ensure our children don’t go to bed hungry,” he said.

Dietitian Aimee Beam from Delaware Department of Education said 228 schools participate in breakfast and lunch programs, and that in half of schools, meals are provided free of cost.

“We want to take away the stigma that only poor kids get breakfast in the morning,” she said.

Other programs provide fresh fruit and vegetables in elementary schools, morning or afternoon snacks, and snacks for students participating in after-school programs. The department provides food in child and adult day cares, shelters, and before- and after-care programs reaching babies as young as 6 months old.

Glen Schuster told attendees that Clothing Our Kids currently works with 34 Sussex County elementary schools to provide at-need children with new clothing.

Chad Robinson from the Food Bank of Delaware said 7.5 million pounds of food were distributed last year.

“We see every day children who are making decisions for their families and helping around the house because a parent may be out of their lives or working nights,” he said.

Robinson said the Food Bank puts food pantries in local schools and provides a weekend backpack program. He said 5,000 backpacks a week are filled with breakfasts and lunches and distributed discreetly to students identified by school nurses and teachers.

“Otherwise, when some kids leave school Friday, their last meal was lunch and they may not have any food until they come back to school on Monday,” he said.