Some Du Quoin Kids Don't Eat Between Friday and Monday

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Teachers at the Du Quoin Middle School and Du Quoin Elementary School say each week there are nearly 150 children who they believe go from Friday until Monday with nothing to eat for whatever reason.

With the help of churches across Du Quoin, the Du Quoin Ministerial Alliance this fall hopes to provide these children with food for the weekend so they can eat when they otherwise would not.

The program hasn't been publicized because, frankly, the sustainability sits on the bubble. But, if 150 kids aren't eating on weekends, there's a huge family or guardianship problem and a responsibility that families, relatives, the churches--and maybe child advocacy agencies--all need to address.

According to Ministerial Alliance spokesman Steve Quinn churches would pledge a certain number of bags of snack items that can be turned into easy-to-distribute food pouches. They would discretely go home from school with deserving children on Fridays. Members of Du Quoin-area congregations would buy food items and the pouches would be filled on Wednesdays, then taken to the schools on Thursday for distribution with a smile on Fridays. According to Quinn, there's a beauty in its simplicity: "Buy Food. Fill Bags. Deliver Bags."

The pouches would fit neatly into any kid's backpack.

The project relies completely on donations by individual members. When you grocery shop each week, just grab a few extra items from the list and bring them to church. Church members will be assigned to forward the items to the Ministerial Alliance.

The food list suggests three dinner, two breakfast and two lunch items that would include individual microwave items like ravioli, Pop Tarts, granola bars, instant oatmeal, individual cereal boxes, individual servings of fruit and pudding, popcorn, easy macaroni (like the six pack), amen noodles and any individually wrapped snack item. No peanuts or nut products of any kind.

"Project Weekend Warrior" mirrors a similar program that already exists in Pinckneyville.

Students who benefit from the program will be advised with caring direction: This is your weekend food. No one elses.

Can Du Quoin churches do this? Absolutely.

Will they? Quinn will have his answer in the next two to three weeks.