An email dropped into my inbox this morning
Saying that a third of children
Are arriving at school hungry each day
Because they have not had any breakfast at home

For many children their free school meal
Is the only hot food they will eat in a day

More and more families are relying on food banks
To ensure that they have something in the cupboard
To make sure that they have some food to eat

You may believe that this is an inner city problem
But I have worked in schools in rural Kent
Where teachers kept healthy breakfast bars
In their desk drawers to feed hungry children
As they arrive at school

Our village church collects food for a local food bank
And in our nearest large village
There is now a community fridge
Where people can give what they can
And take what they need

The current cost of living crisis
Is making life harder for hard working families
Parents are struggling to feed their children
Families are making tough choices every day
To provide the best life they can for their children

We are incredibly lucky as a family
That at the moment we are managing
We are making different choices
We are very aware of changes we can make
To live better for less
We are privileged to be in our position
I know and am so grateful

What I want to be sure of
Is that my children understand how lucky they are
I want them to know that not all families are so lucky
I want them to understand that people are struggling
Even though they work hard and make good choices
Even though they do everything right
They just cannot make the sums add up

I know of teachers and nurses
Relying on food banks to survive the week
I know of headteachers
Who can no longer make their wages
Last from payday to payday
And sadly things are going to get worse for all of us
Before they get better

I also want us as a family
To do what we can to help others
And to future proof ourselves too

We are trying to grow food in our garden
We are trying to make more meals from scratch
Using seasonal produce
We are thinking carefully about the difference
Between the things that we want and the things that we need
We are trying to reduce our food waste
And also donate our unwanted books, toys and other products
To charities who will ensure the things find their way
To families in need

We are going to also try to donate more to our local food banks

The cost of living crisis is affecting everyone
To different degrees
Millions of families in the UK are struggling to
Pay their rent or bills for water and fuel
Anyone can find themselves in difficulty
And people who need to use food banks
Should never feel ashamed for needing help
Asking for help is hard
And finding the strength to admit you need support
And accept help
Takes great courage

As ever when a challenging situation
Needs talking about in our home
I turn to children’s books for help

The bundle of books I am sharing today
Are books that we have
That can be used as a springboard
For talking to children about
The cost of living crisis
Food poverty and food banks

These stories will help children to
Walk a while in someone else’s shoes
To develop empathy for children in different situations
Have you read any of these?

We heartily recommend them all
Stories that show we all belong
Heartfelt and sensitive stories
Of hungry families
Using food banks to survive
Stories that show we all need help sometimes
And there is no shame in asking and accepting
The help that we need
Stories that encourage those of us who can
To give what we can to help others

I am so incredibly grateful to
Onjali Rauf
Diane O’Neill
Matt De La Pena
Tom Percival
Frank Cottrell-Boyce and
Kate Milner
For writing these beautiful and brilliant books
That I believe need to be in every school, home and library

If you are talking to your children
About the cause and effects
Of the cost of living crisis
Newsround was brilliant today
And there is lots of brilliant information
For schools and families
On their website

“Together, we can help one another to go from hungry to hopeful”
Kate Maehr (Saturday at the Food Pantry)