Statistics have shown that breakfast before school can improve grades by as much as 60 percent, in some cases.

That is why a group of eight ladies from the Southampton Seventh-day Adventist Church formed Feed The Children Ministries, a group dedicated to providing breakfast and lunch for needy children in Bermuda’s school system.

“Nine years ago, I became the community services director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” said Correne Dummett. “We didn’t have a centre to work out of. I was inquiring in the community what the needs were. One of the pastors mentioned to me that there were children who went to school every day without breakfast.”

The group started out providing breakfast for 20 children in four schools. Today, the programme has grown to breakfast and lunch for 50 children in ten schools, and there is need for expansion.

“When we started I had just come back from living in the United States,” said Mrs Dummett. “I had no idea the need was that great. We have seen an increase in the need recently.

“I think it is the economy. So many people have been made redundant. Some have been let go. A lot of the big companies have been cutting back. We are currently in primary schools and two preschools, but we hope to soon expand to middle school and secondary schools, because we see a need there also.”

The meals consist of granola bars, cereal, orange juice and milk, fruit, healthy snacks and sandwiches. One day a week they get chicken nuggets if there are warming facilities at the school.

“Tomorrow they will get yogurt,” said volunteer Geraldine Waldron. “We try not to give them a lot of sweet stuff. They get the cookies and yogurt and get crackers and cheese and a sandwich. They also get fruit for fruit time.”

The ladies get up at the crack of dawn to avoid the morning traffic onslaught while delivering the food to the schools. Some of the volunteers are retired, but others, like Suzanne James, also have regular jobs to go to.

“Bermuda is such an affluent society,” said Mrs Dummett. “Sometimes it seems like people could care less about people that are needy, but we care. And we know the need is there.

“One little girl, when asked how she liked the programme, said it was great because she could take some of it home and have it for supper. “One of the teachers asked that same little girl what she wanted for Christmas. She said, ‘Can you get us some food?’.”

Ms Waldron is also in the Lions Club and is hoping to get that particular child’s family a Christmas dinner through that organisation. The school chooses the students who need the meals, and tries to hand out the food in an inconspicuous manner. The volunteers don’t know the children they feed personally, but they do get feedback from the teachers.

A teacher told us there was one little boy who was being very disruptive in class,” said Mrs Dummett. “Once he started receiving breakfast he settled right down. His behaviour was better and he is doing a lot better in his reading.”

But to continue the programme, the group needs funds. Last month alone, the programme cost almost $7,000.

Feed The Children Ministries is desperately trying to raise funds so that they can take the programme into more schools.

Although the children are anonymous, sometimes Feed the Children Ministries gets feedback from the parents as well as the school administration.

“At the end of the school year last year I got a ‘thank you’ note from one of the parents,” said Mrs Dummett. “She said it was such a blessing to her. It had been really helpful to her. She even put a little donation in the envelope. That made it all worthwhile.”

And requests have filtered back to some of the ladies through various channels, about the exact type of sandwich required. Mrs Waldron now makes sure that one particular child gets peanut butter, and another child gets real cheddar instead of processed cheese.

Other volunteers in the programme include Noreen Raynor, Margaret Wade, Carol Burgess, Juliette Bean and Pat Dunlop.

“We just have the best volunteers,” said Mrs Dummett. “Some of them have been helping us for a long time. They don’t get compensated for gas or their time in any way. It is all volunteer work.”

To participate or to make a donation telephone 238-1080.