Last week, the New York Times featured an Arizona teacher who, after posting her salary on Facebook last year amid a statewide protect for more education funding, received a donation of snacks and supplies from a stranger living over 2,000 miles away in New York City. The story spread quickly, underscoring the generosity of community members and shining a spotlight on the wide range of responsibilities teachers undertake to ensure their students grow up healthy, educated and strong.
Here’s our letter to the New York Times emphasizing the important role of teachers in ending childhood hunger in America.
Food: one of the most important school supplies
By Billy Shore, founder and executive chairman of Share Our Strength
Emily Rueb’s piece, “A Teacher Shared Her Salary, and a Stranger Started a School Supplies Wish List,” brings much needed attention to how teachers nourish the minds and bodies of our nation’s kids – a timely reminder this Teacher Appreciation Week.
Teachers stand at the front lines of hunger. Many reach into their own pockets to ensure kids get the food they need, spending $300 of their own money each year on food for students. They know that hungry kids can’t learn because, like pencils and notebooks, food is a vital school supply.
Whether or not a child has enough food to eat effects everything from their health and behavior to educational outcomes and future productivity. Teachers are a powerful force in implementing innovative school breakfast programs that help more kids start their day with the nutrition they need.
This Teacher Appreciation Week, we should thank our educators for helping to end childhood hunger in America.
