GOSHEN—To kick off the county’s Orange Cares program, County Executive Steven Neuhaus packed bright green backpacks with nutritious food and snacks on Oct. 22 at Chester Elementary School. Principal Cindy Walsh said 30 students will receive a food-filled backpack every two weeks. “It’s excellent. Students are obviously a little fuller, and more ready to learn.”
Tables were set up in the school lobby with stacks of juice boxes, packaged food, and fresh produce as volunteers got to work. The group packed a variety of food into the backpacks, including canned goods, romaine lettuce, apples, pasta, juice, milk, oatmeal, and bread. Orange Cares hunger initiative will provide weekend food to more than 800 students and their families in the county.
Neuhaus, a father of three, intends to make these outings a regular part of his schedule. “We are going to be doing this every week or so as soon as we start identifying new locations.”
Vital to Learning
He noted young students need nutritious meals to study well. “They are growing. They need to have good meals so they can develop properly and so they can learn. Can you imagine going home at night and not having food in your belly?”
