http://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/upimage/VF_I18B_015.pdf

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Part of BSU sponsors free breakfasts program, October 3, 1969

Text

BSU sponsors free
breakfasts·program
by Mark Lumer
Spectrum Staff Writer

In an eeffort to helpthe underprivileged children
ren in the Third
World Communityy, the Black
Student Union will start a "Free
Breakfast in School" program
Monday in the Westminister
House,421 Adams Street.
Elaborating on what promoted
this program, Percy Lambert, president of the Black Student Union ·
said: "We found out that kids don't
do well in school because their
mothers are unable to offer them a
decent breakfast in the morning."
"So when these kids are in
school, they are concentrating on
the hunger pains in their stomachs
instead of the schoolwork on the
board," he explained.
In addition to the food costs for
the program, Mr. Lambert cited
another financial burden: "We had
to buy a refrigerator for the West­
minister House because the one
they had was inadequate for our
needs."
''The government has been in­
sensitive to the needs of the
people," he continued. ''The
government has cut back on wel­
fare and our people are just barely
able to live off of it. We are trying
to set up a sort of emergency fund
for the people of the community.
We must help the community. It is
our duty to attune ourselves to the
needs of the people."

Black Student Union, but since
they gave us less money than we
asked for, we will need donations
from.individual
people and from
.
organizations
to
keep
the program
. ,,
.
going.
"We might go to the next Polity
meeting and ask for some money,"
Mr. Lambert added. ''We are also
setting up a list of sources that we
will go to for assistance. We will
seek every source of help that is
available to us, and that means
every source."

Revolutionary program
''There is a possibility that we
would be getting food from the
Department of Agriculture, but we
think that the government will not
risk contradicting themselves for
the needs of the people. They can
burn excess food, but they can't
give it to the people because it will
hurt the economy. Most probably, :
we will be getting our food from ,
Ecco, which is a co-op that is lo- 1
cated in the community itself," he
explained.
·
Commenting on the possibility
of getting help from businesses in
the community such as A&P, Mr.
Lambert stressed: ''The A&P is like
all white businesses. They are only
concerned with making a profit
over the people."
"They steal from our. commu­
nity." he said "and when they are
asked to return it by helping, they
refuse . The A&P gives ten dollars a
Seeks community involvement
year. We have not as yet decided on
"Although the program will our action if the A&P doesn't help
only serve about 100 children, gen­ us."
erally in the Westminister House
Emphasizing that "this is a revo­
area," Mr. Lambert said, "BSU
hopes to expand it into a commu­ lutionary program," Mr. Lambert
insisted: "We are going to make it
nity-wide project.
hard to say 'no' to a BSU member,
"Right now," he remarked, as it is hard to say 'no' to a Black
"only BSU is involved, but eventu­ Panther. We will keep the program
ally we hope to get other students going at all costs."
from other colleges and people
Expressing BSU's stand on the
from the community into it. This
would be different from the Black project, Mr. Lambert said: "Power
Panther's 'Breakfast for Children' to the people."
program.
Contributions can be made to
"Funds for the program are the chairman of the "Free Break­
coming from the Student Associa­ fast in School" program, Karen
tion budget allocation for the Asbury, in room 335, Norton Hall.