LAKELAND, Fla. — Elementary school teacher Jennifer Cuzzort knows what it's like to see a child go hungry.
“It affects how well they’re able to concentrate. Their mood, if they’re cranky, if they’re hungry, especially the little ones. We see a difference in the classroom if they’re coming to us hungry,” said Cuzzort.
Data shows the number of food-insecure children in Polk County has doubled.
Cuzzort had two such students in her class this past school year. She says it’s two too many.
“Two students in one class. I’ve had students before that have gotten KidsPACKs, but I've never had two in the same class before,” said Cuzzort.
That is what inspired her to volunteer for KidsPACK. The Lakeland nonprofit provides meals to disadvantaged children in Polk County schools each Friday to sustain them on weekends.
“I immediately thought of those students that I had. On Fridays, they would remind me that Ms. Cuzzort, we need to go to the office and get our packs. They really look forward to it, and it meant a lot to them,” Cuzzort said.
KidsPACK serves nearly 4,000 students a week and continues to feed children during summer break. However, inflation and a lack of funding are making it difficult to meet the growing demand.
“Food costs are going up, which means our price goes up. Which means to sponsor a child for a year used to be $400, and it’s now $430,” said Amy Royal, KidsPACK Program Manager.
Royal said community support is critical to their operation. If you would like to help, you can sponsor a child for as little as $30 a month.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
