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Children’s Meal Mission Needs Help to Continue OnWith no state support, George Bell turns to community for helpRelated Content
ANCHORAGE - One in six kids here in Anchorage will go to bed hungry tonight. One man is trying to change that. George Bell been feeding neighborhood kids with his own money for almost three years. But he says the demand has grown and his resources are stretched thin. Bell says he can't do it himself and needs help to continue his mission. There's no other place Bell would rather be than serving kids. With turkey, noodles and mixed veggies on the menu, cooking dinner for hungry kids in Anchorage is part of his daily routine. He's serving up hot meals in Mountain View as well as on the other side of town in Spenard. Bell and his Children’s Meal Mission have been feeding hungry kids since 2009, and in the past three years, the number of mouths needing to be fed has nearly tripled. That's 150 meals a day and growing. “It’s every single day, the same kids over and over again and I believe if we were there Saturday and Sunday, the kids will still come,” said Bell. It’s a real problem, says Vontreal Crump, who works for the mission. She says there are kids here in Anchorage who dig through the trash can to find food. “They went to the trash can to get food out because that was the only source of food that I guess they had at the time.” It’s a heart-breaking situation the workers say it's a daily reality. “A lot of kids out there that are hungry, to put it quite frankly,” said Bell. “Just come to the Mountain View Boys & Girls Club center and you'll see it firsthand.” But with no state support and more kids coming in, Bell’s wallet is getting thinner, which is why he’s is asking for help. “Asking the public is a last resort to be honest with you, we are trying to get the state to help us out as well as grants… I can't stop now, you can see, it just wouldn't feel right to just stop because we are out of money,” said Bell. Even with limited funds available, Bell says he's not giving up on his goal of feeding Anchorage's hungry children. But if they don't get any support he may be forced to lower the amount of meals and staff of three that he has. For more information on how you can help please click here. |
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erroll booth said on Tuesday, Mar 6 at 11:40 AM
Wow, that is cool what he is doing. takes a special kind of person to do this. you would think different business in anchorage would help out as a tax right off. with all the millionaire's you would think they would help out, it's not like they are gonna be effected by 50k in donations couple times a yr to help those that need it.
83229096Concern One said on Tuesday, Mar 6 at 12:10 PM
Where are the parents? Why? Is the center don't offer food? I don't understand why the kids gi hungry there. I would like to know what the Boys & Girls Club Center is doing. I know all centers recieve grants.
83233346Jon said on Tuesday, Mar 6 at 3:02 PM
Sometimes I just don't want to be the skeptic but I must ask: What is the home environment like, does anyone know if the parents just send kids to be fed to save money for cable TV or high speed gadgets or drugs or, or? Are the parents the working poor, are they on welfare and watching TV all day? Kids should certainly not be hungry and it's a good thing that Mr. Bell is doing. I just have those questions and I think people would also be more willing to help knowing some of the answers.
83259136Parent 1 said on Tuesday, Mar 6 at 7:34 PM
I support the cause of feeding children. However, my children go to the Boys and Girls Club, and I have been notified they are no longer allowed to bring outside food or drink to these facilities. I had to sign a form that I understood this policy! I can afford to send my children with a lunch. I would rather see the meal be given to a child in need.
83290606Kathy said on Wednesday, Mar 7 at 12:09 PM
If we could get the goverment to allow the foods from the fast chains turnover throwaways we could feed the world. The conern is they might get spoiled food. I think they will be more than willing to take that chance. The waste in America is a sin!
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