You’ve heard the mantra: Knowledge is power. Thousands of kids across the Ozarks went back to school this fall ready to empower themselves with knowledge, but the fact is, children need food to be at their best – and right now, 1 in 5 children are facing hunger across southwest Missouri.
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.