Making life easier for children with disabilities
A freezer filled with ready-to-heat FareShare meals supports students with disabilities at Sale and District Specialist School.
The Gippsland students can request a meal whenever they like while hampers with nutritious FareShare meals are also delivered directly to families in need of support.
“These meals help out a lot – it means the kids have a decent feed,” says Student Wellbeing Support Rebecca Bagshaw. “They can ask a teacher any time for a meal. If you have a hungry belly you can’t focus on your work. You’re going to be ‘hangry’.
If you have a hungry belly you can’t focus on your work. You’re going to be ‘hangry’ ... When our students have food in their stomachs, we see that they are happier, concentration span improves for learning, social interaction is positive, and they have more energy throughout the day.
“It’s hard to keep an eye on little kids at the best of times, but with special needs kids it’s much harder. Some parents have special needs themselves and no knowledge of healthy food. It perpetuates the cycle. You can’t live on two-minute noodles, day in day out.
“FareShare means at least five days a week I can give them something to fill their bellies.”
For some students, who start at prep and continue through to VCAL, the prospect of a meal is crucial to attendance.
“They come to school because they need a feed. When our students have food in their stomachs, we see that they are happier, concentration span improves for learning, social interaction is positive, and they have more energy throughout the day.
“FareShare gives me the opportunity to support my school community. The benefits are being able to develop trusting relationships with families and to ensure that all our children are safe and their needs are being met. It allows me to have eyes on families that need support in all areas of life.”
Last year, the students were so grateful for the free meals they banded together to raise funds. “The FareShare fundraiser was a big talking point for the kids about helping others. The students initiated it,” said Rebecca.
Here at FareShare, we’re proud to help make life easier for children with disabilities. Help us continue to support them, and so many others like them, by kindly donating to our winter appeal. Thank you.
FareShare will be present at many NAIDOC 2024 activities this week, and supports the celebration and recognition of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders
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