Here’s How You Can Help Kids In Ferguson Who Don’t Have Food Now That School’s Closed

The city of Ferguson, Missouri, has been thrown into the spotlight this week, as several questions remain unanswered regarding the fatal shooting of unarmed black 18-year-old Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson. But while the community grapples with controversy and tragedy, some are making sure to prioritize the city’s most vulnerable residents: its children.

Ferguson-Florissant School District announced Wednesday that, due to safety and security concerns, classes would not resume for the school year on Aug. 14 as planned, CBS St. Louis reported. The first day of classes has been moved to Monday, Aug. 18.

To many children in Ferguson, the elongated summer break is not cause for celebration.

“I was crying,” London Hawkins, a 5-year-old who lives near the location where protests took place Wednesday night, told KMOV News 4. “There was fighting last night, and then I missed school.”

Many students in Ferguson rely on meals provided in school, and the delay in the start of classes means more time having to endure empty bellies. That’s why Fundly user and Raleigh, North Carolina, school teacher Julianna Mendelsohn partnered with the St. Louis Area Foodbank to launch a crowdfunded campaign benefiting hungry kids and families, WNCN News reported.

“When I found out school had been canceled for several days as a result of the civil unrest, I immediately became worried for the students in households with food instability,” Mendelsohn wrote on the fundraising page. “Many children in the U.S. eat their only meals of the day, breakfast and lunch, at school. With school out, kids are undoubtedly going hungry.”

 

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