Food Stamp Nutrition

                                                                                 
Have you ever taught a group of kids about nutrition, or the importance of eating healthy? Yeah? Some of you at least.

Okay, let me ask you this.

Have you ever taught a group of kids about nutrition, or the importance of eating healthy... and have one of the boys ask you if, 'when their dad gets soda from their food stamps, and they don't get soda till their next food stamps get approved, is that enough 'healthy' time in between drinking sodas?'

This is just a glimpse into some of the stuff I see and hear daily from my kids. This is what the kids in Park Ridge, the 'ville, Oakwood Lincoln Park, etc. are dealing with when people tell them they need to eat healthier.
                                                                                   
I was in a Family Dollar on Magnolia, just a 2 minute drive from my church, to pick up some sandwich bags. It didn't take me longer than a few seconds before I realized this was a "grocery store" to way more people than you would assume. Cheap clothes, all kinds of plastic toys, food (but not the fruit and vegetable food) this food came in a box or can or wrapper, soda and energy drinks by the crate. There were 3 families in front of me and all of them were counting out change or using a check they were just given from their job. Talk about living pay check to pay check.
                                                                                   
We gave the kids $2 at Freezo - and you better believe those kids know what they can get for $2. If we would have told some kids from across town they had $2 I can guarantee you at least have of them would have thrown a fit they didn't get more, and they would have had  hard time figuring out what they could get for that much. I'm not saying those kids are worse than mine who know the amount of change in their pockets, or mine are better cause of it. I'm just trying to think out and maybe even make some sort of point in the process.

There have been several deaths in families this week. We know about the shootings, police brutality, poor grades in schools, athletics being an outlet... but what we tend to ignore is our kids getting fed, and fed well.

The last three weeks I have been trying different ways to get one particular middle school boy to eat. We as a team have talked about it, prayed about it, watched, provoked, made bets, encouraged, educated, sat back and watched, celebrated, and come home feeling defeated.

Today we celebrated. An orange for a snack, baby carrots and peanut butter, cantaloupe, takis, and he attempted a sandwich but looked at me like "please let me done" and I couldn't have been more proud.

It was beautiful.
                                                                             
The 9 boys I have in my sports rotation were given a real challenge today when I had someone else come in a teach them some soccer basics. He even told them it was more internationally famous than basketball AND football. No one believed him - welcome to urban youth in america. But we struggled and almost broke our ankles together. Despite the fact we may never be soccer players - we gave 100% and that's all I asked of them today haha cause soccer is hard y'all!