Lunch Money for Torie--A Child In Need

Torie called tonight. She told Olivia that though some things are better since Christmas, her grandmother still won't send her a packed lunch nor give her lunch money. They qualify for free and reduced lunches, but that doesn't seem to influence her grandmother whatsoever. She takes the time to fill out the annual paperwork, and then won't pay what would amount to only 85 cents for her child's lunch, or 35 cents for her breakfast at school. Instead, this child heads to school every day with no breakfast, no lunch (other than the leftover bread crusts or pizza crusts her friends save for her -- the parts of their lunches they do not want), and no fresh water bottle.

Think about this for a moment, when school starts here in August, the temperature hovers above 120 degrees most afternoons and does so often through October. By December or January, the water is still important, but the children don't dehydrate so quickly. This all changes seemingly overnight, however, in March or April when the temperatures creep back up into the triple digits and even the newscasters advise parents and grandparents to send their children to school with plenty of cold water.

Torie walks to school. She carries a heavy backpack, though it is not laden with food or snack or water. She carries her books and pencils and pens (many of which we reinforced for her at Christmas) in that heavy backpack.

Please when you pay your bills this month and thank God for the abundance He has provided for you and your family, remember Torie and all the children like her whose parents do NOT provide even the most basic of their human needs.... nutrition in order to feel awake and alert in school and write another check to Addiction Overcome, mailing it to P.O. Box 310, 2320 E. Baseline Rd, Suite #148, Phoenix, AZ 85042.

Addiction Overcome will pay the money directly into Torie's school district lunch fund rather than sending it through her family. Help us send in a large check that covers Torie's breakfasts, lunches, and water bottles five days per week through the end of the school year and then make a note to do so again in August so we can help this child eat and drink each day. My heart breaks that addiction continues to rob children of the most basic of human needs.