Who had reduced or free lunch in school?

[alohabear]

Re: Who had reduced or free lunch in school?

I suspect we qualified for free/reduced lunch but my parents were too proud to apply. Ironic since our neighbors got "gub'ment cheese" and shared it with us.

In any case, public school lunches are a deal...but, have they gotten any healthier?? I remember we were given JUNK when I was a kid: pizza, fries, burgers etc. Not that I was complaining! Still, I try very hard not to give my kiddos that stuff on a daily basis. It would be nice to know all my hard work will not be undermined when they reach school age.

It's much more healthier. We have cut the fat and are serving more whole grains and low fat milk. My school even has a salad lunch daily.

[Barry]

Re: Who had reduced or free lunch in school?

I am deliberately putting this short story here because it IS about free lunches.

In France my family cured pigs and hung them up in the shed. It wasn't grand enough to be called a barn. They were covered in rough Belgian lace from the market to stop them getting fly blown.
Like SusieMisajohn has described. The thin slices were delicious and I used to try to get the fatty parts because French bread goes stale very quickly, to keep the bread on the go and taste a bit fresh.

I was walking across the fields to school. Reading my catechism and avoiding standing in animal droppings. I was called a heretic by the other children 'cause I was not born in France.

There was a tall girl outside school. Very pale and thin. If the sun would have shone it would have gone right through her. I shared some of my breakfast with her and she told me that it was her first day at the school. So she was going into the 'big girls class.' (Wow ! 3 years older than me and I was 7).

I asked her what her name was and where she had come from. So she told me that she was from Saarbrucken on the German border and everybody called her "Jew Dog." When I pressed her for her real name,,,, she looked down at her sandals and quietly whispered Anna.

With one of my free dinner tickets in her hand we went into school.
Anna was like an older sister to me and never let go of my hand . My family managed to get them some assistance in the way of food and clothing.

Can I say by the way of a p.s. ? Anna is now a Granny and even though they have their own pigs on the farm she still says that nothing tasted better than the breakfast ham I shared with her,

[blessedmomma]

Re: Who had reduced or free lunch in school?

I had free lunch in elementary school. single mom. it was way embarrassing then because we lived in Hawaii Kai and they made the free lunch kids go to the office every morning to pick up their tolkins.15 cents breakfast, 25 cents lunch. everybody teased the free lunch kids. I remember prices changing to 25 cents and 35 cents a couple of years later. then they gave out little laminated tickets instead of tolkins. still had stigma but then we lived in Kaneohe and a lot more kids had free lunch. by high school, they were mandated to stop "segragating" kids and keep the free/reduced status private. I don't remember how but I know there was no account like there is now and by then, (in Waialua now) we just raided the change jar and went across the street for hot dog and rice. campus security turned their heads. by the way, anybody know if that little store is still there? I loved school food, it was so good. the garbage served to kids now is criminal. we did cafeteria duty in el and middle school. I loved duty days cause we always got 2 lunches. for years school breakfast and lunch was the only food I got.

[kiwidiva]

Re: Who had reduced or free lunch in school?

My son came home last week and asked me what a "hot luncher" was? I had no idea but he told me the context that he had heard the term - he was responsible for showing a new kid (from the mainland) around school and when they went to the cafeteria, the kid told my son he didn't want to sit with my son's friends because they were "hot lunchers!"

I had to get my husband (also from the mainland) to explain to me that the new kid was expressing his prejudice that since those kids were eating HOT LUNCHES, they must be on the free/reduced lunch program and must be POOR so he didn't want to sit next to them! I couldn't believe it!

I have THREE kids and pay about $120 a month so they can eat hot lunch and breakfast at school. I wish I could qualify for free or reduced lunch for them and we did start having them make their lunch but it is just so much easier for them to eat at school. I hope this kind of attitude isn't prevalent at school because you don't (and shouldn't) know who is on the free or reduced program.

[i-hungry]

Re: Who had reduced or free lunch in school?

I never had free or reduced lunches during my childhood school time. In my school district, there were a lot of kids who did. This was in town near Mayor Wright housing and Palama.

I don't remember any serious stigma problems but I think a few kids were a little embarassed. But some of the kids who got lunch tokens were tough kids and you don't want to mess with them. Whatever your family finances are, I didn't have a problem with it.

I think my parents could have signed us up for the free lunch program. But they never wanted to rely on any government assistance. Maybe they were too proud or it was just a cultural thing. They were Asian immigrants. Maybe they wanted to do this their way. I really don't know.

The school food tasted okay. We did get pizza, hamburgers and fries but it wasn't continuously on the menu. We always had vegetables and not just the lettuce salad. There was beans or carrots or something I would approve of even today.

I remember the tough kids would start asking for money from the other kids. This started after elementary school when some of the kids got into bad behavior.

Everyone knew it was a robbery even if it was always prefaced with, I like "borrow" quarter. I remember getting a pass if I said it was my lunch money. That seemed to be off-limits for even the meanest bullies. I guess there was some compassion because they know how rough it was to not get your meal.

[hawaiian_pride]

Re: Who had reduced or free lunch in school?

Oh yeah.. i remember those days.. You know it's a funny thing 'cause i thought that having tokens and receiving them was cool. Get this though i didnt know they were for reduced and free meals.. If i could only go back and tell the other fellow students sorry...

My how things have changed.. I live in the state of washington and all kids from k - 3 receive free meals.., but the price for reduced and paid for meals are slowly creeping due to the economy and state budgets, I think it's happening everywhere..

[Barry]

Re: Who had reduced or free lunch in school?

As a child in France we got dinner tickets for our free meals. Nowbody thought any shame was atached, as we all got them.

Nowadays in Bristish schools, the Muslim children have a different menu and are issued differnt tokens'.
They are not allowed to attend the morning assembley in case it has a religious bias. So therefore, several teachers have to be taken out to supervise them.