Nationally, 1 in 5 children live in households that struggle to put food on the table. These households are referred to as “food insecure.” Just as financial insecurity leaves a family scrambling to pay bills, food insecurity means not knowing how you will provide your next meal. As a result, many children rely heavily on the free and reduced-cost school meal programs during the week and do not h
ave much to eat over the weekend. In the Shiloh Village School District, the national average is a reality with more than 100 students receiving free meals (breakfast and lunch) during the week and an even greater number receiving meals at a reduced cost. The purpose of the Weekend Wildcats program is to provide children with a bag of food to take home for the weekend. Children who don’t have enough to eat are more likely to struggle in school and more likely to miss school due to illness whereas students who regularly start the day with a healthy breakfast have improved school work and better test scores. Each Friday (or the last day of the school week), bags are sent home containing foods that are child-friendly, nutritious, nonperishable, and easy to prepare/eat. Each bag contains enough food for children to easily assemble 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches/dinners and some snacks. These items offer children healthy meals over the weekend when schools are unable to provide breakfasts or lunches.
