“This shift [to vouchers] gives our families choices…and choice is empowering.” – Dr. Ivan Duran, Superintendent of the Bellevue School District
Last month, a record number of students requested support through Bellevue LifeSpring’s Breaktime-Mealtime™ program. Your investment in this program provided 1,836 students with vital nutrition during spring break. Without your generosity, these students would have gone hungry without access to free and reduced-price meals through school.
Spring break also marked the program’s shift from giving families pre-determined boxes of food to grocery store vouchers. These vouchers allow families to select the items that fit their cultural, dietary and lifestyle needs.
Karen and her family are living in a shelter. She can’t cook meals for her kids and they don’t have anywhere to store food. With the vouchers they received from Breaktime-Mealtime, Karen was able to purchase simple deli items during spring break to replace the meals their children usually receive at school.
Because of your support, more than 900 families like Karen’s were empowered with the ability to shop for meals that reflect their family’s needs. The school district’s Family Connections Center staff also shared that many families use their voucher to purchase fruit as a special treat, since fresh produce is usually too expensive for those on such limited budgets.
Our community has allowed Breaktime-Mealtime to support families living in poverty for over 20 years. Your continued support is vital to ensure that students are well-fed and focused when they return to the classroom after break. Thank you for providing every student with the opportunity to succeed.
