Trying to focus when all you can hear is the growl of your stomach can be very challenging. Children trying to make it through the school day until lunch where they get their first, if not their only meal for the day suffer the most.


One out of four children in Arizona live in poverty.

Fed Minds Are Focused Minds

Hunger can stand in the way of a child’s education by disrupting focus. Children given the proper nutrients to make it through the day, have an easier time listening to their teachers and learning. An increase of alertness in students was seen from 73% of educators who provide breakfast in their classrooms.¹

For students who do not have access to breakfast, either at home or in their school, it can become difficult to sit in a classroom and listen to your teacher early in the morning while hungry. This lack of attention can mean missing important lessons and falling behind in school.

Focused Minds Lead to Success in Education and Later in Life

Combating this problem can mean contributing to a child’s success later in their life. If they are focused in the classroom now and getting a good start on their education they need in order to stay on track, they have a better chance of staying on that path. It can be as simple as eating a nutritious breakfast.

When teachers started offering breakfast for students in their classrooms, 53% saw an increase in attendance and 48% saw decreased disciplinary issues.¹

You Can Contribute to a Child’s Success

We can help kids in our community fight for a chance at a focused education by giving them access to breakfast. Valley of the Sun United Way is ensuring children succeed and fighting to end hunger in the Valley with Breakfast in the Classroom. With your donation, you can fight hunger’s hold on education and contribute to a child’s success in the classroom. End hunger with United Way today!

^{1. http://hungerinourschools.org/img/NKH-HungerInOurSchoolsReport-2015.pdf}