Fifty-eight % of children in Seymour’s school district receive free and reduced-price meals at school, but for many students, meals aren’t a guarantee when they go home. For families who are worried about making ends meet, Seymour YMCA provides out-of-school meals for children to reassure families that their kids are being nourished.
Hunger isn’t always obvious. In children and teens, hunger disguises itself as behavioral issues, dropping grades and isolation. Perhaps no one knows this better than teachers and school staff, who are often the first to identify when students aren’t getting enough to eat at home. Crocker School Pantry coordinator and library aide Jackie Scholfield is all too familiar with the effects of child hunger.