Meeting Basic Needs in City Schools BY: DORIAN POLANCO AND TOMMY NGUYEN Describing the Need Rochester ranks second highest in the nation for child poverty in mid to large size cities 48.2% of children in Rochester live in poverty These families are considered "food insecure" They don’t have adequate food or cannot buy food because of many or other resources Lack of access to low cost and healthy options Lack of access includes a lack of transportation and supermarkets in the area. What is available are corner stores however these don't compare to a Wegmans because corner stores mostly carry snacks and junk food and have less healthier options in general, in addition to usually having higher prices. Wegmans on the other hand will have fresh fruits, vegetables, and other available meals at lower prices. Store prices increase at the beginning of the month Even though people receive SNAP benefits, they sometimes may find higher prices in supermarkets at the beginning of the month, causing them to spend more for less. Addressing the Need Require food pantries in every school in the Rochester City School District Wrote to the board of education Emailed Cynthia Elliot, the President of the board, our idea of setting up food pantries Meet with Cynthia to discuss details: Acquire Resources- Suggest schools put aside money for creating the pantry or they can seek grants for money. Money would be used to purchase food items and equipment to store the food. Setting aside space for the pantry -- Within the school, preferably on the ground floor- easier access, disabled/handicap, security reasons Develop Partnerships – Partner with food link since they provide low-cost food and deliver it. Partner with supermarkets and farms for food donations Distribution- based on family size, give 3-5 days' worth of food. People usually come in at the end of the month, final stretch until SNAP benefits renew Inspiration Community service Completed our hours at the Community Place of Greater Rochester Organized a food pantry NHS Food Pantry
