'It's Just Very Impactful' | Baltimore Hunger Project Packs Food For Students In Effort To Conquer Childhood Hunger
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Over 100,000 children in Baltimore City and County get free or reduced meals at school, but on the weekend, that's not the case. Many of those students spend the weekends without enough food to eat.
The Baltimore Hunger Project is determined to conquer childhood weekend hunger one child at a time.
Every week, teams of volunteers with The Baltimore Hunger Project pack bags for 470 students at 17 city and county schools.
"The food they get on Monday relates directly to the food they had over the weekend, it's just very impactful," Volunteer Judith Fitzgerald said.
Lynne Kahn started The Baltimore Hunger Project four years ago.
"I really thought, why not"? Kahn said. "I've got two kids. I know how to feed kids. I know how to organize people and somebody has to do it. I feel like it's my personal responsibility,"
Brian Powell knows about student hunger. He's Principal at Kenwood High School where there are 1,400 students on The Baltimore Hunger Project's waitlist.
This holiday weekend, double the supplies are boxed and then loaded into the cars of volunteers. Tanya Hicks delivers to Hawthorne where students anonymity is protected by putting the food in the
"I had one little boy, he came up to me, 'Miss Nathan, I forgot my backpack,' so worried about not getting the food," Letehia Nathan said. "It just really shows the program is needed."
Nathan isn't the only person who recognizes the importance of The Baltimore Hunger Project.
"You can tell when a kid is hungry or when they haven't eaten over the weekend," Teacher Leah Hunt said. "They can be more irritable. It's harder for them to focus. Harder for them to pay attention and harder for them to learn."
For more information on The Baltimore Hunger Project, you can click here.