About those changes in school breakfasts
For me, the Janesville School District’s change from volunteer breakfast clubs to a federally funded program at elementary schools hits close to home. I thought helping my church, St. John Vianney, in the one-week-a-month rotation at Roosevelt School would be a volunteer role I could serve without it ever becoming so controversial that I’d have to write an editorial about it. Oh, how wrong I was.
The district announced the change in the last few days, effective Jan. 28. I’ve heard plenty of critical comments since then from volunteers, many of whom are upset about being pushed aside.
I can see what the district is doing. It’s hoping to tap available federal money to serve all elementary schools throughout the district at no direct cost to students.
Yet the district is dismantling a system of volunteers who have poured their hearts and souls, time and money into a program that at some schools has existed for more than two decades.
I believe I started serving at Roosevelt when my son was in third grade there. He’s now 29. I’ve seen many things in my roughly 20 years of helping. I’ll never forget the boy named Greg who got a kick out of having the same first name as me, and thus would yell, “Hi, Greg,” with a grin every time he came. I once saw him sitting in a chair at Boston Store as his mother tried on cosmetics, and I snuck up behind him and asked what cosmetics he was trying on, embarrassing him.
I remember the little girl who once came in and quietly asked me, “Do cows have soft udders?”
“What?”
“Do cows have soft udders?”
“Well, um, yes they do. Why did you want to know?”
“Well, we’re taking a field trip to a farm today, and someone told me cows have soft udders.”
"Oh," I said. "Well, yes, they do have soft udders."
The next day, I saw her standing by the door, hesitant to step in and join us for breakfast. I asked her what was wrong.
“Well, we visited the farm yesterday.”
“Yes, so?”
“Well, I might have cow poop on my shoes.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” I chuckled. “Come on in.”
Roosevelt has had great groups of students in recent years. I can remember the time I wound up in the principal’s office the last day of the school year, however, scanning a yearbook to identify students involved in a mostly verbal dustup during that day’s breakfast.
But I can also remember the many children who looked disheveled, emotionally troubled, and in need of smiles and someone to talk to them.
These are the children I hope many of the volunteers remember and continue helping as role models, as the district hopes.
Yet my fear is that without the need for whole groups, who build camaraderie and even friendships with fellow parishioners through setup, serving the kids and cleanup, too few will continue to commit to doing what the district wants.
I know my volunteer time has been squeezed as work demands expanded in recent years. I’m not sure I’ll continue visiting Roosevelt like I did. I’ll miss my fellow parishioners, some of whom I’ve become friends with. In fact, I might never have met one of my best friends had it not been for this program. My wife has been helping, too, since she retired a year ago.
OK, so I wrote the editorial we’ll be printing Sunday. Should I have? Did I get too close to the program for objectivity? Should I have deferred and let Editor Scott Angus write it instead? We discussed that possibility, but in the end, I wrote it. I think having served the program has afforded me insight and perspective that’s rare in a new editorial topic that comes at me each day.
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook
Dec 17, 2012 at 11:26 p.m.
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When will the schools take responsibility for supplying children's lunches, dinners, and bedtime snacks...year around...for all the little chubby darlings so that baby-mama and baby-daddy can have more time and money to spend on the "important things" - like themselves, for instance?
Dec 17, 2012 at 12:49 p.m.
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So much for reducing entitlements. Too bad when the govt takes things like good projects from the community. Why not let the govt take over all the food programs like the recent holiday food drive that was done so well. Why not set up free grocery stores where everyone just goes and gets all their groceries free from the govt?
Dec 17, 2012 at 8:23 a.m.
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"Did I get too close to the program for objectivity?" I'm not sure that by its nature an editorial is meant to be objective, since it expresses an opinion, and by following your heart, you can't be all wrong.
Dec 17, 2012 at 7:42 a.m.
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Greg, thank you for your volunteering in this worthy program, but it appears you don't understand it is all about the greater good and that greater good is to get more Federal money (we don't have) and get more people dependent on it. (Sarcasm) Greg you nailed it with your comments, it is a sad trend in society.
Dec 17, 2012 at 6:53 a.m.
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What puzzles me is that as the debate in Washington centers on reducing entitlements, this new 'entitlement' is added.
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Spoken as a true socialist janesvillean, everyone is equal or more correctly the same.
Dec 16, 2012 at 10:41 p.m.
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oldvet- As a parent that has on occassion used the breakfast club for my children when I have had to go to work early or something of that sort, I think you may be unfamiliar with the program. THe program at Roosevelt was great, and didn't serve low-income students. It served all students, and my children would bring in boxes of cereal and milk or bread when they were to go into breakfast club. It contributed to the 'community' feel of it, and, I wanted my kids to learn to always give more than they take in life.
So, my problem is different. I don't want my kids to attend now that it is federally funded...
Dec 16, 2012 at 6:03 p.m.
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Why Serve Universal Free Breakfast?
Most importantly, when you offer Universal Free Breakfast, more students eat breakfast.
Universal Free Breakfast reduces the stigma attached to eating breakfast at school. It makes breakfast available to those students who may not want to participate in the program for fear of being labeled “poor.” It also provides breakfast for those students who cannot afford the cost of a reduced price breakfast and lunch. In addition, children who participate in Universal Free Breakfast tend to have improved attendance, less tardiness, and increased test scores. The quality of their diets also improves. While serving Universal Free Breakfast may increase labor needs, the overall labor costs per meal are actually less with Universal Free Breakfast than with traditional service methods.
http://fyi.uwex.edu/wischoolbreakfast/pr...
Dec 16, 2012 at 2:56 a.m.
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if this creates more jobs, it is a good thing. It was great to hear the human interest side of volunteering, the joy of giving yourself is priceless.
Dec 15, 2012 at 11:32 p.m.
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Greg who said your can't volunteer, no one said you had to pick your toys up, stomp your feet and rush for the exits- there are plenty of opportunities to volunteer at the schools. Show the kids your were actually there for them!
Dec 15, 2012 at 10:29 a.m.
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IT makes me sad that some of these parents don't give a crap about the kids they brought into this world and only think of them as a burdon,tax credit, or more free food from echo and food stamps.
imjustsayin- they still need the volunteers. The Feds are not bringing their own.
Dec 15, 2012 at 7:46 a.m.
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Maybe this all needs to looked at in a different perspective
1. Rules need to be followed, even though most of the food “is” grab and go you still need rules in place to keep it safe.
2. Storing and maintaining equipment can be cumbersome for the groups to handle.
3. Not needing to commit one area to just breakfast club ends up saving money because the kitchen staff can (for the most part) use breakfast club food items just the same as everyday lunch menu items.
With just these three items the entire burden to keep the food in order is taken care by a professional staff equipped to handle just this type of event on a daily basis.
Volunteer groups get the opportunity to take a whole different approach to the way they volunteer as a guest in the lunchroom area.
I have been a guest volunteer in many of the kitchens in the school district of Janesville and what I notice most is that the staff is always very approachable and the kitchen is clean and well organized. Never have I been turned away from the kitchen staff or been told that volunteers are not welcome here.
Dec 15, 2012 at 6:56 a.m.
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I would like to suggest that the volunteers stay on now and counsel the parents on why they should feed their own children. You know, The children that they are responsible for, the children that they decided to bring into this world. Counsel them on personal responsibility. Council and teach them that they should never depend on government or others to feed their children or to raise their children. Since this is more about feeling good than about the children, think about how good all concerned would feel.
Dec 15, 2012 at 5:34 a.m.
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My wife used to go to Wilson and let youngsters practice reading to her. That too is very useful and important.
Dec 14, 2012 at 5:26 p.m.
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I know I'd feel hurt if I was told my help wasn't needed anymore, but like you said, you've got years of good memories of the times when you were helping out in the schools.
With all the different needs in the community there shouldn't be any problem for the breakfast groups to pick up on something else. Maybe double down on the GIFTS program and hire that social worker the board members would like to get. I know your church was a founding church for GIFTS, and is always looking for ways to improve the progam.
I think what's happened is a good thing. Public schools will get publicly funded food programs, and private groups will have more resources for other needs in the community.
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