04/19/24
December 22, 2011
High School Football Team Wins by Feeding Players Dinner: A high school football team in Burke County, Ga., has won the state championship after school officials realized that many of its players were malnourished and needed dinner. Defensive lineman Jessie Bush, 17, recalled that things were different four years ago. "A lot of people -- they was hungry, tired, and sleepy sometimes," he said. County family income is so low that 85 percent of students qualified for free breakfast and lunch in school and many go without other meals at home. The school's coach and nutritionist sought aid under the federal Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act and now provide dinner to 500 lower-income students for $3 a meal.
It's pretty stark, but far from unusual in rural areas in the US, sad to say.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 09:07 PM on December 22, 2011
1. Holy Fuck. 2. Good for them. 3. I hope they win.
posted by yerfatma at 12:55 AM on December 23, 2011
Compare the stats*:
Burke County poverty rate 48%, Cambodia national poverty rate 26.8%
Go USA!
*not really a valid comparison, but hey.
posted by owlhouse at 02:54 AM on December 23, 2011
I wish you hadn't gone there, owlhouse. Last I saw Cambodia had set the poverty line as people living on less than $1.25 a day; in contrast the subsidised meals in the story are $3 per dinner. I love this story and its a great initiative but no-one looks good comparing poverty in the US to Cambodia.
(Sorry, pet peeve. Rant off, good for the kids)
posted by deflated at 11:39 AM on December 23, 2011
I think it is sad that this is the state of things in America, but I'm glad that the coach took the initiative to fix it and do what he could.
posted by bperk at 12:36 PM on December 23, 2011
I wish you hadn't gone there, owlhouse. Last I saw Cambodia had set the poverty line as people living on less than $1.25 a day; in contrast the subsidised meals in the story are $3 per dinner.
I agree with your general point (that it is an apples to oranges situation), that is also true of your comparison, isn't it? A small amount of cash means one thing to a subsistence farmer, another thing altogether to someone living in a cash economy.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 01:29 PM on December 23, 2011
That's why I put in an asterix and a disclaimer. Poverty is relative, of course.
The UN uses USD 1.25 per day, and that's what the figure for Cambodia is based on.
posted by owlhouse at 07:18 PM on December 23, 2011
Sad that this would be true in The Land of Milk and Honey.