Art Department "Empty Bowls" Fundraiser

Parents, students, faculty! Please join our ceramics students at our EmptyBowls event on April 16th!

Ceramics students from Braintree, Cohasset, Hingham and Hull High Schools have been making bowls to contribute to this fundraiser to end hunger in the South Shore and beyond. For your ticket-price donation, you will choose a handmade bowl, and be served a simple meal of soup and bread, generously donated by Whole Foods Market, at the South Shore Art Center in Cohasset. Members of the Hull High School Ensemble Group will provide music. Speakers from Project Bread, Inc., and from Outreach, Inc., an international food charity, will speak about their work and where your contribution will go. There will be a silent auction of additional artworks by local artists and students.

You will take home your handmade bowl as a reminder and a thank you for helping those in need.
Please join us and make this an event that can make a difference in our neighbors’ lives.

To purchase tickets:
ONLINE: https://unipaygold.unibank.com/Default.aspx?customerid=1039 Click on Art Program, (service fees apply).
OR: email emptybowlssouthshore.com@gmail.com to purchase a ticket for pick-up at a participating high school.


QUICK FACTS, from Project Bread, Inc., website:

Food Insecure Children
16.5% of children in Massachusetts are food insecure.
Food Insecurity
In 2013, 10.6% of Massachusetts households—nearly 700,000 adults and children—were food insecure.
FoodSource Hotline
Project Bread’s Food Source Hotline received over 46,000 calls from individuals looking for assistance in 2014.
Free and Reduced Meal Programs
There are more than 350,000 students eligible for free or reduced price school meals in Massachusetts.
Full time workers should earn a living wage
In 2011, 46% of fast-food workers in Massachusetts relied on $173 million in aid (SNAP, Medicaid and EITC) to meet basic expenses every month.
Households on SNAP
As of October 2013, there were 501,212 MA households participating in SNAP. This number continues to grow.
Minimum Wage
A popular belief is that minimum and low-wage jobs are predominantly held by teenagers but over 200,000 children in Massachusetts have a parent that earns less than $11 per hour.
Poverty Line
Nationally, more than 91% of SNAP benefits go to households with incomes below the poverty line. This is equal to $19,790 for a family of three. OVER>>
Rate of Food Insecurity
From 2003-2013, the food insecurity rate in Massachusetts has increased by 71%, and it's stayed there.
Source: Status Report on Hunger in Massachusetts
SNAP Benefits
SNAP benefits provide food insecure people with increased buying power at the grocery store. SNAP also boost local economies. Research shows that $1 of SNAP benefits actually generates $1.84 of economic activity in a community.
SNAP Helps Children
Children make up 45% of all SNAP recipients.
Test Scores
According to Share Our Strength, there is an average 17.5% increase in standardized math scores from students who consistently start their day with a healthy meal.
Trend
In 2012, 11.4% of Massachusetts households, over 700,000 adults and children, were food insecure. This is up almost 40% since the beginning of the recession, and almost 80% since 2000.

Braintree Special Education Parent Advisory Council

BRAINTREE SPECIAL EDUCATION
PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL
www.gpvillage.com/braintreesepac


HOME & COMMUNITY SUPPORTS
Thursday, April 16, 2015, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Thayer Public Library,
798 Washington St., Braintree

Supporting children with special needs at home and in the
community can be extremely challenging for families. Unlike the school environment, everyday life doesn’t necessarily include structure, predictability and a knowledgeable/supportive community. Katy Shamitz, Founder & Director of Skills for Living, will be leading this workshop to provide useful strategies and resources for parents/guardians on ways to support their special needs child at home and in the community. Topics include successful strategies for activities of daily living, including building routines in the home, using visual supports and social stories, strategies for success in community outings, including teaching play/social skills and safety awareness.
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