It is felt by some that in Big Sandy there are a few children who do not eat when the school is not preparing breakfasts and lunches.
It is very difficult to know for sure as not enough food for kids is not something that goes around town like gossip.
Most of us who talk to people about needs in Big Sandy to help poor people do hear stories of children in need of help. With a four day week at the schools and no food being cooked on Friday it is even more important that food be gotten to those who need it. If there are kids here that have those needs lets work to meet those needs.
If it is true, then Big Sandy needs a couple of programs which are fairly easy to get hooked up with.
Both are run out of the Montana Food Network in Missoula.
The Montana Food Network has a food pantry and helps get programs going to cook lunches or breakfasts during the summer months.
And there is the Back Pack Program which helps by giving kids on Thursday or Friday afternoon, a package of food that discreetly fits into a back pack and which contains a two day supply of food for one child.
At Van Orsdel Methodist Church in Havre we have run a Back Pack program in the summer through the Boys and Girls Club. It has been very successful and we have always had no trouble funding that program.
Funding for the amount of food needed in Big Sandy ought not to be the slightest problem.
The biggest problem is to get someone to start a movement and get these programs going in Big Sandy if it is deemed that they are necessary.
The figures of kids who are hungry in Montana are high. I hope they are not that high in Big Sandy but high or low, let’s fix that problem. It is easy and oh, so necessary.
