LAYTON COUNTY, GA (CBS46) –
According to the Clayton County school district, 40 percent of the students in their schools are from homes where families live below the poverty line. Just last school year about 2,030 students were homeless.
To help fill in the gap students at the school started a backpack buddies program where they raised money to buy food and then packaged it for the students to take home.
Lillian Mitchell is a teacher at Babb Middle School in Forest Park. She says the students depend on the help.
“We have quite a few students here that who are less fortunate even more than just being the free breakfast and lunch,” says Mitchell. “There are students who depend on those meals they get every day here at school and when it’s closed for winter break or spring break or the weekend, those kids do not get the same sustainable food.”
For their efforts, the students received national recognition and a $10,000 check from Lead2Feed, an organization that, according to its website, is a ‘free leadership program that nurtures a new generation of leaders – the ones sitting in your classroom and school – while working to meet a community need through project management, decision-making and teamwork.’
The check will be used to sustain the program and buy more food to feed the students.
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