Monday mornings bring a sense of horror after having to return to the daily hustle and bustle from the weekend.
But for some students from Crockett Elementary School in Phoenix, a Monday morning means more than just returning to school; it means getting to finally eat a meal after going the weekend without food.
"Kids would show up Monday morning just starved," said Crockett Principal Jeanne Sorci. "That could easily have been the case for a number of our children."
When Jeff Hampl, assistant professor of nutrition at ASU East, discovered the Crockett Elementary problem, he wanted to make a change.
"We waste a lot of food in the U.S., and I wanted to see food being put to good use," Hampl said.
Hampl started a study, partnered with St. Mary's Food Bank, in which approximately 700 bags of fruit, vegetables and bread would be given to students every other week.
Students from Hampl's class, along with the help from a fifth grade class from Crockett, would pack each bag with 10-15 pounds of food for the elementary students to eat over the weekend.
"Nutrition is big issue with our kids," said Kathy Putman, school nurse for Crockett. "The kids certainly aren't eating [enough] fruits and vegetables."
Hampl's study tested the blood of 17 parents before the food was given and twice while the food was available.
"I found that Vitamin C and foliate increased in their blood," Hampl said, which showed that there was an improvement in the family's eating habits.
Sorci added that this project was a huge contribution for the school.
"Jeff and his department don't just show up, pass out food and forget about it," Sorci said. "They help the teachers and teach kids about nutrition. Working with Jeff and his department has given us a chance to serve our community."
Hampl said he was troubled by the seventh and eighth graders who did not accept the food. Starting Friday, he will begin to study why this is happening.
"I want to see if there is a stigma with receiving free food," Hampl said. "Kids around those ages are sensitive to peer pressure and want to give the appearance of having more clout or wealth. If they participate, there is a clear indicator that they're in need in their lives."
Sorci said she also noticed that some older kids did not accept the free food.
"I think a lot of it is that they don't want to carry a bag of groceries from the school because it's not cool," she said. "I am very interested in what the results will be."
Hampl said it felt good to be a part of this and work with the kids.
"I'm pretty confidant we made an improvement in their nutritional status," Hampl said.
Reach the reporter at jennifer.summers@asu.edu.
