Nov 1, 2018 6 min read

When Jennifer Cario first spoke with the principal at her stepson’s new elementary school, she was shocked to learn that for some of the students, the meals provided at school were their only meals.

“I hung up the phone and looked up the census data. We have a 20 percent poverty rate. Among the student population, it’s 30 percent. It was one of those things that hits you – my kids go to school with kids who don’t have enough to eat,” she said. “When they leave on Friday, there are kids who might night eat again until they come back on Monday.”

So the Bentworth mom took action. Then a volunteer for the Washington Park Blessings in a Backpack program, Cario approached Bentworth Elementary Principal Susie Macik about starting a similar program in their district.

That first year – now seven years ago – Cario called in every favor she could to launch the program and provide bags filled with food for the weekend for 200 elementary and middle school students who qualified for free or reduced lunch.

“My whole thing was, improved test scores are great, but if the kids are starving, they don’t really care that two plus two equals four,” said Macik. “It was what could we do to support our kids. How do we better support our kids so they can learn whatever they need to learn that day?”

The program has evolved into Bentworth Blessings, a nonprofit that supports students in need. At the elementary school, students receive bags of food for the weekend. At the middle and high schools, students can “shop” from a free pantry for items they need, including food, school supplies, hygiene and household items.

“They’re old enough that they can say what has more value to them,” said Cario. “There is less waste, and it’s opened up the door to conversations with the students.”

Talks with students have revealed other ways the nonprofit can help, such as providing recipes that teenagers can prepare in microwaves, and ways to budget.

“They’re giving us feedback. With generational poverty, it’s not realistic to say we’re going to change your whole life. But we can say, ‘Let’s make sure you’re coming to school. Let’s get you through high school,” Cario said.

Bentworth Blessings also provides holiday and summer pantries, supplies for the school nurses and “emergency” assistance for families.

Macik said the culture at Bentworth has changed to take care of the entire child, not just their education.

“If somebody says to me, ‘How many kids do you have?’ I say, ‘I have 500.’ Whatever they need, they’re going to get. The teachers, what they do, it makes me cry. What they do everyday is incredible,” Macik said. “When I become principal, I thought my job was to teach academics, to support teachers and they teach kids academics. While that’s part of it, it’s a piece of it, but it’s not the whole piece. We’ve got to take care of them.”

Blessings provided a family with everything they needed for a funeral lunch after and unexpected death, and bought a stroller for a mother who was having a hard time getting her child to the bus stop because of issues transporting two younger children. Cario and Macik said several families who were helped by Blessings volunteer to help once they’re back on their feet.

“We have a lot of gap scenarios. There are families who might not qualify for free or reduced lunch – we have a family that makes $13 a month too much to qualify – but they might need some extra help,” Cario said. “We can help them out.”

The nonprofit runs on grants and donations, with the annual Ultimate Family Game Night being their biggest fundraiser – the event accounts for $20,000 to $25,000 of their budget. This school year, the nonprofit has a budget of $38,000 that has significantly impacted 200 to 250 students.

“It’s not about test scores,” said Macik, “it’s about making sure that that child is whole.”

For groups just starting to put similar programs in place in their school districts, Macik advises that they start small.

“We started with the little things. We created a culture where now, I have kids who come and tell me another kid said they’re hungry,” she said. “Now I have kids taking care of others. Isn’t that what society is supposed to do? Let’s take care of everybody. That’s what we hope we teach our kids – that we care.”

In the Burgettstown Area School District, a similar program is just getting off the ground following a successful inaugural summer feeding program.

Jan Marietta, a nurse at the middle and high schools, has joined forces with volunteers from Burgettstown Area Community Development Corporation (BACDC) to provide Blue Devil Boost Bags with food for the weekend to students in need.

BACDC launched the summer program with daily lunch distribution provided by the LeMoyne Center. Volunteers quickly recognized the need to provide food to take home, and put out a call for donations. The community enthusiastically obliged. So when the school year started, the organization approached the school board about starting a weekend feeding program. Superintendent Dr. James Walsh put them in contact with Marietta.

Organizations and individuals provide the food – two breakfasts, two lunches, two dinners and various snacks – and student groups pack bags every week for about 45 students. The group hopes to help about 100 students a week by the end of the year.

“The kids are very gracious. When they bring their bags back on Monday, they ask if they get more food on Friday. Some ask if their friend can get a bag,” said Marietta. “The kids who pack know what they’re packing it for. It’s a learning experience, to be able to help somebody and be a part of the community.”

Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch are eligible to enroll in the program.

“When we started, I wanted to prove to people that Burgettstown could work together to make great things happen,” said BACDC President Luke Snatchko, who added that the Burgettstown Ministerial Association is aiding the effort. “This shows that people really want to make this town better than ever.”

For information or to donate to Bentworth Blessings, email jennifer@bentworthblessings.org. For information or to donate to Blue Devil Boost Bags, email jmarietta@burgettstown.k12.pa.us or bacdcoutreach@gmail.com.