Food for Thought delivers food each week to McMeen Elementary students in Denver

Many families who are newcomers to Denver are still struggling to find stability with housing and food. They don't have work permits and that means they aren't earning enough to pay for rent or regular meals. 

Some teachers at McMeen Elementary School are seeing students fighting hunger. McMeen has been working to adjust to the large numbers of new students arriving from Venezuela and Colombia.  

Food for Thought is one organization stepping in to help by delivering bags of food every week for students to take home. Those bags contain nonperishables and snacks meant to last. 

Some educators say the food isn't even making it home because the children are devouring the snacks right away or saving it in their desks, to eat later. 

"When kids have food insecurity they tend to hoard that food, because you don't know when you're going get that next meal. And if you're 8 years old, 10 years old and you don't know when you're getting your next meal of course your desk filled with half-eaten goodies for the week is going to look excellent," said Bryn Shouse, a behavior aide at McMeen. 

The Denver Public Schools Foundation has granted more than $276,000 to 25 schools, including McMeen, that have enrolled large numbers of students who are new to this country. DPS has activated its community hubs at schools across the city to help meet the basic needs of these students.