With the startling revelation that one in four children in the Cayman Islands public school system need financial assistance to buy lunches and rising, here is one charity designed to help.

Feed our Future Cayman Islands is the charity. Their mission is simple, to provide children in need school meals.

A growing numbers of students in our community rely on subsidised or free school meals each day as for many this is the only meal they will receive. In fact, as of January 2012 15% of the enrolled Government School population for the Cayman Islands are being provided Government assisted lunches.

Stacey Vandevelde, Chairwoman of Feed our Future says, “In fact over 15% of the enrolled Government School population for the Cayman Islands are being provided assisted lunches. Many more children in our schools, both public and private, are in need, their families have just not asked for, or received the help. A large number of Cayman’s teachers report that they regularly purchase food for students in their classroom who are not getting enough to eat at home. Every child needs nutritious food. If children do not eat they cannot learn, they cannot behave to expectation, they will not remain healthy. A hungry child is at risk. It is that simple. Our families need help. Our children need food.

“Everyone needs a little help sometime. Look deeper and when you find hunger, do something to help. Your donations will make a difference in the lives of these children and their families, and ultimately to our society. We look forward to your support of our work towards a hunger free Cayman Islands.”

Teachers are among the first line of defense for students who regularly come to school hungry and will take action in a number of ways to address the hunger they see in their classrooms or lunch halls.

On average teachers report spending $25 a month of their own money on the purchase of food for their classroom. – Source :: Share Our Strength Teachers Report Survey.

Teachers will also refer students and parents to resources available such as the free school meal vouchers provided to those eligible by the Department of Children and Family Services. Free school lunch programs have existed in the Cayman Islands for many years and are vital in providing our children the food they need for healthy mental and physical development, in building a foundation for investments in health, education and economic growth, and in the fight against childhood hunger.

Historical data shows that a large number of children in our public schools rely on subsidised or free school meals. For many children this school meal is the only solid meal they will receive the entire day. The statistics below show the number of children who have been assisted with school lunches for the past ten years though it has been reported that these numbers are severely understated in that many more would qualify, if they came forward and funding allowed.

Given recent economic turndown and the growing number of children and families in our community in need school meal programme funding requirements are high and on the rise. Further, Government funding allocated to poor relief programmes such as this continue to be reduced.

Please, therefore, support the “CIS Fills Empty Bowls” campaign on Friday, May 3rd, 2013 at Cayman International School’s Arts and Recreation Centre from 4pm – 6pm.

Cayman International School will partner with Feed our Future this May to host ‘CIS Fills Empty Bowls’. Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger. http://www.emptybowls.net/

The basic premise is simple: Potters and others work to create handcrafted bowls. For this event Cayman International School students in Grades 3 through 10 will create the bowls as a part of the art programme. Guests are invited to a simple meal in exchange for a cash donation. Guests will keep the bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. All proceeds raised from this event will support Feed our Future’s school meal programme which supports needy children in the Cayman Islands.

The event cost is CI$25:00 (basically enough to provide a young child school meals for 1 week).

iNews Cayman thanks Cayman International School (CIS) and their students for their work in this regard and invite the community to support this wonderful event.

Other events to help Feed our Future are:

Feed our Future “Cooking Matters” Workshop Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 and Child Month Island Wide Dress Down Friday, May 10th, 2013

To find out more please go to the Feed our Future website at: