Free lunches at school

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Yes, that's the cause of obesity, exactly. The poor kids are eating two lunches!

I guess I should have put the disclaimer into that post...

What I don't understand is this: If parents below a certain income level qualify for food stamps, then why would the kids' lunch not be covered by those food stamps? Lunch box. Brown bag. BYOF. The ####### they serve in most schools is horrible and unhealthy anyways. So, it's not like the free lunch program ensures a "nutritious, healthy, balanced diet" for all kids as some would have it. They should shut down the school kitchens altogether - they're a friggin' health hazard. Everyone brings their own lunch. Period. But back to the original question: Is free lunch at school deducted from the food stamps? Otherwise, it would appear that the taxpayer funds the food twice. Which would perhaps explain some of the obesity issue .

if you look up the school lunch programs site.. it seems like they have strict guidelines on what is allowed to be served for these free or cost reduced lunches,,,

You're saying it's healthy, balanced and nutritious? Sorry for being a non-believer.

What about the double charge on the taxpayer?

Double charge?

* Food Stamps

* Free Lunch

1+1=2, yes?

[Carolyn 1]

And let's not forget that many inner city neighborhoods do not even have access to a decent grocery store to buy healthy, nutritious food--people without cars have to buy what is in their neighborhood or take public transportation. Anyone ever try to feed their family well from a convenience store?

Mr. Big Dog, I doubt that food stamps and school lunches are double charging taxpayers.

[Disco 0]

I am on the school board of my charter school, so I am quite familiar with school budgets...

Disco, you are mistaken if you think your AV budget is negatively impacted by school lunch programs. That federal money has to be separate from the rest of the budget--it can NOT be used for anything else.

That said, we could certainly have a good debate about how little federal money is actually spent on education (unfunded mandates, anyone?).

Sorry I read slow and don't keep up with fast moving threads.

I've been in on these meeting at the school and my budget got cut becuase of this program. The fees for the lunch they get some from government but for the fees for driver ed and graduation it comes out of the school budget. Other high school in our district do not have the same money crunch we do because we have 900 student on fee lunch. It depends on your state and your district as to where the money comes from. remember I'm talking about a program that covers more than the cost of food.

sorry guys not checking the spelling and grammer because I got to go and wanted that out there.

not reading any more of this because it's growing to fast.

Bye

[smoke20 0]

i don't have any problem w/ free/discounted lunches for poor kids, but that was funny.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Mr. Big Dog, I doubt that food stamps and school lunches are double charging taxpayers.

* Food Stamps

* Free Lunch

1+1=2

My equation stands unless you set out to challenge basic math.

Or are you saying that one of the two isn't funded by the taxpayer?

[Marilyn. 340]

unless I am mistaken food Stamps won't cover all the groceries you would need in a month...

The average monthly benefit was about $86 per person and about $200 per household

http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/faqs.htm#8

thats is not going to go very far... and you can't use food stamps to buy stuff like shampoo, medicine, vitamins, toilet paper etc...

Edited August 25, 2007 by MarilynP

[Carolyn 1]

Mr. Big Dog,

Do you actually know how much families receive for food stamps?

[KarenCee 3]

What I don't understand is this: If parents below a certain income level qualify for food stamps, then why would the kids' lunch not be covered by those food stamps? Lunch box. Brown bag. BYOF. The ####### they serve in most schools is horrible and unhealthy anyways. So, it's not like the free lunch program ensures a "nutritious, healthy, balanced diet" for all kids as some would have it. They should shut down the school kitchens altogether - they're a friggin' health hazard. Everyone brings their own lunch. Period. But back to the original question: Is free lunch at school deducted from the food stamps? Otherwise, it would appear that the taxpayer funds the food twice. Which would perhaps explain some of the obesity issue .

if you look up the school lunch programs site.. it seems like they have strict guidelines on what is allowed to be served for these free or cost reduced lunches,,,

There is no distinction between the kids who get free and reduced lunches and the kids who pay full price...they all get the same menu, they all get the same choices of food. I'm not sure if that's what you meant though. The guidelines are pretty strict, but it's an overall guideline. It's how the food is prepared (IMHO) that makes it so high in fat and sodium.

[Nancy2015 2]

What corner is that? That just because a family at or below the poverty line has to feed their kids in the summer months that this means that they don't need these sorts of programmes to supplement a meagre income? Yes Marc - those people on low incomes are all lazy. Yes - that's the answer If you believe that you are more ridiculous than a case of fruitloops

Noone said this was about starvation - you seem to have jumped to that conclusion all by yourself. As far as schools go - what do you think the extra money is intended for? At a guess I'd say school supplies and supplementary activities.

Moreover, I wonder why you are so gung-ho about this when it has no impact whatsoever on your daily life.

Still no answer on who feeds these poor kids during the summer months. Show me some kids starving in america. That isnt the fault of the parent.

I apologize - I haven't read the whole thread, I've only read the first 3 pages. I'm going to catch up, but I couldn't help chiming in right now, cause I can give you an answer. At least, for the county I live in.

In our county children from families who qualify for free lunches get food from the food banks during the summer months. Folks who can donate food bring it to the food bank and then it gets distributed among the poorest. And we have plenty of poor people here.

If the people are poor and can't make ends meet, it doesn't always mean they're lazy. There are families where both parents work, yet they are below the poverty limit. They may work in jobs that pay minimum wage. They may be incapable of learning skills for a better job. Or there may be circumstances beyond their control when they just ended up working in a job that wont ever pay enough. Does it mean these people shouldn't be allowed to have children at all? In what way is it possible to stop them? Mandatory sterilization? I guess, they have some laws regarding having a second child in China as far as I'm aware, - at least, they did in the past. Maybe the U.S. should follow suit?...

20% of my income goes to taxes. And I don't mind if all of it goes to support welfare programs. I'd rather have more support networks than a costly and useless war abroad.

I normally don't participate in political discussions on this board, but the idea of equating poverty with laziness bothers me. It's just wrong.

Edited August 25, 2007 by Sid and Nancy

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Mr. Big Dog,

Do you actually know how much families receive for food stamps?

Apparently enough to enable the parents to afford the fancy nail jobs, hair do's and wheels those that pay for their groceries with the food stamp cards at the grocery store sport. I see it every day and it makes my blood boil. Besides, if we're saying that the food stamps ain't enough to afford the kids three meals a day, then the kids would seem to be shite out of luck when school's out. But hen maybe mom just can't get them nails done quite as frequently during the school breaks.

[Marilyn. 340]

What are some characteristics of food stamp households?

Based on a study of data gathered in Fiscal Year 2005:

*50 percent of all participants are children (18 or younger), and 65 percent of them live in single-parent households.

*54 percent of food stamp households include children.

*8 percent of all participants are elderly (age 60 or over).

*77 percent of all benefits go to households with children, 16 percent go to households with disabled persons, and 9 percent go to households with elderly persons.

*34 percent of households with children were headed by a single parent, the overwhelming majority of whom were women.

* The average household size is 2.3 persons.

*The average gross monthly income per food stamp household is $648.

*46 percent of participants are white; 31 percent are African-American, non-Hispanic; 13 percent are Hispanic; 2 percent are Asian, 1 percent are Native American, and 7 percent are of unknown race or ethnicity.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/faqs.htm#8

[Carolyn 1]

I don't know about y'all, but my husband and I alone spend about $400 a month on food! We buy lots of fresh food (veggies, fruit, meat, bread)--nothing packaged, some of it organic.

I don't think we'd do too well on food stamps...

[Marilyn. 340]

Mr. Big Dog,

Do you actually know how much families receive for food stamps?

Apparently enough to enable the parents to afford the fancy nail jobs, hair do's and wheels those that pay for their groceries with the food stamp cards at the grocery store sport. I see it every day and it makes my blood boil. Besides, if we're saying that the food stamps ain't enough to afford the kids three meals a day, then the kids would seem to be shite out of luck when school's out. But hen maybe mom just can't get them nails done quite as frequently during the school breaks.

they do have a summer program too....

Edited August 25, 2007 by MarilynP

[rebeccajo 14]

Yes, that's the cause of obesity, exactly. The poor kids are eating two lunches!

I guess I should have put the disclaimer into that post...

What I don't understand is this: If parents below a certain income level qualify for food stamps, then why would the kids' lunch not be covered by those food stamps? Lunch box. Brown bag. BYOF. The ####### they serve in most schools is horrible and unhealthy anyways. So, it's not like the free lunch program ensures a "nutritious, healthy, balanced diet" for all kids as some would have it. They should shut down the school kitchens altogether - they're a friggin' health hazard. Everyone brings their own lunch. Period. But back to the original question: Is free lunch at school deducted from the food stamps? Otherwise, it would appear that the taxpayer funds the food twice. Which would perhaps explain some of the obesity issue .

if you look up the school lunch programs site.. it seems like they have strict guidelines on what is allowed to be served for these free or cost reduced lunches,,,

You're saying it's healthy, balanced and nutritious? Sorry for being a non-believer.

What about the double charge on the taxpayer?

Double charge?

* Food Stamps

* Free Lunch

1+1=2, yes?

Don't drop the common sense part of my post Reinhard.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Mr. Big Dog,

Do you actually know how much families receive for food stamps?

Apparently enough to enable the parents to afford the fancy nail jobs, hair do's and wheels those that pay for their groceries with the food stamp cards at the grocery store sport. I see it every day and it makes my blood boil. Besides, if we're saying that the food stamps ain't enough to afford the kids three meals a day, then the kids would seem to be shite out of luck when school's out. But hen maybe mom just can't get them nails done quite as frequently during the school breaks.

they do have a summer program too....

I can breathe easier now that I know that mom's gonna have that professional manicure done all year round.

Yes, that's the cause of obesity, exactly. The poor kids are eating two lunches!

I guess I should have put the disclaimer into that post...

What I don't understand is this: If parents below a certain income level qualify for food stamps, then why would the kids' lunch not be covered by those food stamps? Lunch box. Brown bag. BYOF. The ####### they serve in most schools is horrible and unhealthy anyways. So, it's not like the free lunch program ensures a "nutritious, healthy, balanced diet" for all kids as some would have it. They should shut down the school kitchens altogether - they're a friggin' health hazard. Everyone brings their own lunch. Period. But back to the original question: Is free lunch at school deducted from the food stamps? Otherwise, it would appear that the taxpayer funds the food twice. Which would perhaps explain some of the obesity issue .

if you look up the school lunch programs site.. it seems like they have strict guidelines on what is allowed to be served for these free or cost reduced lunches,,,

You're saying it's healthy, balanced and nutritious? Sorry for being a non-believer.

What about the double charge on the taxpayer?

Double charge?

* Food Stamps

* Free Lunch

1+1=2, yes?

Don't drop the common sense part of my post Reinhard.

You had a question I wanted to answer.