DENVER — In response to food insecurity faced by families throughout the city, Denver Public Schools partnered with the nonprofit The Third Meal to deliver holiday meals to every student at Valverde Elementary School.
Ray Roske, CEO of The Third Meal, shared the importance of community partnerships.
“We are the silent partner behind the heroes who actually do all the work,” he said, highlighting the role of educators who can find families in need. “There are 30 million kids in the US that rely on programs like ours to feed them this third meal of the day.”
The organization provided the funds to employees at Valverde Elementary, who went to local stores and bought food that families could use for their holiday meals. Hanna Franzblau, a social worker at the school, was one of the people who picked the ingredients.
“It's not just processed foods. It's not just something that was like leftover donations,” Franzblau said. “It's something that's really fresh and something that can be served and be healthy and nutritious for our families.”
The meal packs included lettuce, onions, potatoes, carrots, an orange, a loaf of bread, corn tortillas, butter, spaghetti, tomato sauce, and a ham or turkey for those families who don’t eat pork.
Caitlin Juarez, a mother of a third grader at the school, expressed her gratitude.
“The cost of living is just going up. It’s hard to provide that meal for your kids all the time,” she said.” We’re so grateful for everything that The Third Meal has been providing.”
The cost of food can be a barrier, but so can the proximity to fresh ingredients.
“Our school is located in a food desert, so that means our families do not have access to an actual grocery store,” Franzblau explained. “Especially if you don't have transportation, families are not able to get to a grocery store where they can get fresh items or produce.”
Franzblau also remarked how this partnership allows families to focus on holiday time together without the stress of food insecurity.
“We know that when our kids are taken care of in some way, that they're going to be just that much stronger as students and people when they come back in January,” she said.
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