Church and Society

Rosemary Elementary School "Healthy Snack" Program

Beginning in March of this year, a dozen volunteers from Campbell UMC have been conducting the “Healthy Snack” program at Campbell’s Rosemary Elementary School on Hamilton Ave. in Campbell, CA, just around the corner from Campbell UMC. Rosemary Elementary School students are predominantly Hispanic, and the school primarily serves lower-income families. In this program, twice a week, volunteers from Campbell UMC provide healthy snacks to the Kindergarten through 5th grade students during morning recess. Snacks are paid for by donations from individual members of Campbell UMC and Campbell UMC endowment funds.

The Healthy Snack program began out of a need called out by the Rosemary School Principal. Principal Edna Laskin told Sue Foyle, of the Campbell UMC Church and Society committee, that although many students are provided with state-subsidized lunches, they come to school hungry -- making mornings a difficult time to concentrate on learning when their stomachs are rumbling because they didn’t get any breakfast!

Although some schools have subsidized breakfast programs, Rosemary School no longer has one, because of insufficient numbers of participants. The reality of busy Silicon Valley life is that in homes of working single parents, or where both parents are working, it just isn’t possible for parents to get grade school students to the school at the required early hour of 7:30AM for a subsidized breakfast. Campbell UMC’s Healthy Snack program at Rosemary School helps to fill that gap -- making sure that these grade school students can get their morning hunger pains eliminated so that can concentrate on their classroom studies.

The program has been well received by both Rosemary School staff, and, of course (!) the students. One teacher said, “You don’t know what a difference you are making. One morning, one of the young boys told me he was hungry, but I had to tell him that I didn’t have anything for him to eat. But then we remembered that it was ‘Healthy Snack Day’. He was all smiles and excited that he could get something to eat at morning recess!” Students not only give “pleases” and “thank you’s” for the snacks, but have also been known to initiate “group hugs” to the Campbell UMC volunteers to show their appreciation.

Campbell UMC is truly making a difference in these young lives!

Submitted by: Dave Foyle, Campbell UMC Outreach Committee

Lou Woodburycatcott and Sue Foyle distribute “Healthy Snacks” to Rosemary Elementary School students