Help Feed Darien Kids

Hungry at School and Falling Behind - Taste of Route 66 Rotary Fundraiser

It's Monday morning and 1 out of 5 Darien elementary school students are hungry. They are groggy. Not fully engaged. They are falling behind. Darien District 61 Superintendent Dr. Robert Carlo says, “some of these students end up in the nurse's office complaining of headaches or upset stomachs which the nurse knows is easily cured with a healthy meal."

Over the weekend, their families were not able to provide sustained nutrition. Back in school, they will receive free or reduced price meals from the school district. It can be Wednesday before they regain their full potential to learn. Caring teachers will spend class time helping them keep up, making this an issue that can affect all students in the class.

It can be hard to believe that hunger is such a common problem in our community. Hunger is a quiet struggle. Families can be fearful of the stigma of asking for help. Your own neighbors may be facing challenges and in the struggle to make ends meet choose to forego meals to keep the heat on.

The Rotary Club of Darien has been attacking this problem by assembling packages of shelf stable food that local school districts can discreetly place into an undernourished learner’s backpack on Friday afternoon so that they can continue to be fully nourished over the weekend.

This school year we have been able to provide Backpack Food for Kids assistance every weekend to 165 students in need. However, Superintendent Dr. Robert Carlo estimates that in his district alone there are over 400 children currently in need of assistance. “Fortunately, we have the Rotary Club of Darien working with us to close that gap."

We would like to invite you to join us for an evening of good food and fellowship as we seek to expand the program to cover all of the at risk children in our area. On April 5th starting at 6pm, the Rotary Club of Darien will be holding its annual Taste of Route 66 Fundraiser at Carriage Greens Country Club primarily to raise funds to support the Backpack Food for Kids program, as well as to raise additional funds for other local, national, and international programs, such as Shelter Box, Darien DYC scholarship program and NAMI DuPage. Area restaurants will be providing a sampling of their menus. There will be a cash bar and the event will feature silent and live auctions. Tickets are $40.

To purchase tickets to the event or participate in our online silent auction please visit backpack16.gesture.com. For information about the event visit tasteofroute66.org. You can learn more about our Backpack Food for Kids program and make a donation to support our service efforts by visiting rotarybackpack.org.

Help us give every student the chance to succeed.