http://digital.lib.buffalo.edu/upimage/VF_I18C_002.pdf

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Part of City Is Offered Blight Volunteers, February 13, 1970

Text

Breakfast program
continues operation
Despite an initial lack of
funds and facilities, recent
grants to the Children's
Breakfast Program of the Black
Student Union will allow the
service to continue and perhaps
expand its operation. The
program provides breakfasts for
economically underprivileged
school children in the
Westminister House, 421 Adams
St.
The program, which began
last October, was initially
funded by. contributions and by
a $3000 grant from the Student
Association. Students defeated a
referendum to allocate $28,000
to the BSU last Dec. 12,
however, a second referendum
passed allowing the SA to
allocate "some" funds to the
program. Total support from the
SA totalled $19,000.
Donations of more
than
$ I 8,000 were given by the
community and outside sources.
In addition, the Veterans Club
donated $600 to the program
from its treasury surplus.
Some contributions seem to
be "token" in nature, however.
According to Charles Aughtry,
leader of the BSU Breakfast
program, A & P Food stores
have contributed about $3
worth of bread, Harvest Best
Food stores gave approximately
$5 worth of bread, while Acme
Food Markets donated nearly
$10.
Commenting on these
donations, Mr. Aughtry said:
"They exploit black people
every day. They should give us
part of the spoils."

Mr. Aughtry observed that
the attitude of the community
of blacks, Puerto Ricans, Indians
and some poor whites toward
the program is "favorable and
not apathetic." However, he said
that University students who
voted against the $28,000
appropriation are "ignorant of
the fact that kids have to eat."
He also said that he noticed
some emnity on the part of the
children towards the students
when they were told of the
referendum results.
Hunger pains
The Breakfast Program, Mr.
Aughtry explained, feeds 180 to
206 children per meal at a cost
of about $.70 to $.80 each. The
children's meals are planned by
a dietician from Millard Fillmore
Hospital with some assistance
from the staff of the State
University of Buffalo Food
Service.
The need for the program
was explained by Percy
Lambert, president of the BSU.
"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
said.
Along with the free meal ,
comes a diet of philosophy and
political teachings introducing
the children to "the philosophy
of Black Consciousness," Mr.
Aughtry said.