Helping Hand Food Pantry at OCS

As 2009 draws to a close, it's clear that many Californians had a brutal year. Unemployment is at a record high and the costs of living here -- mortgage, rent, car payments, clothing and food -- remain steep. Many families are tightening their belts to make ends meet and a little help now and then is deeply appreciated.

In that spirit, Brenda Davidge, Jude's Mom, would like to to create a small food pantry for OCS families during these tough economic times. She knows the need exists. For years Brenda has volunteered in food pantries around Los Angeles and this year has seen an increase in the numbers of families without sufficient means to feed themselves three meals a day.

Our school is likely no exception. Typically OCS has about 30% of its students elegible for free and reduced cost lunches, a proxy for low income families. This year, that means about 90+ students. This is just a proxy. The school does not collect or keep data on household income. Still, it is safe to assume that occasional food insecurity may be a fact of life for some of our families.

In order to better gauge what our community needs, Brenda recently sent out a survey (included in this week's Thursday packet) which asks a few simple questions. Please take a moment to fill that out and bring it back to the front office. You can also access the survey via the Survey Monkey Website at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=gq17TK2cGvjfeF9HkEOqvA_3d_3d Please feel free to also include your comments and suggestions.

For more information about hunger in America, please take a look at an article published this week by Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5AF42220091116

Thanks.