Posted: 9:32 PM Apr 11, 2012
Reporter: Victoria Maranan

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SHERMAN, TX-More than 40 percent of the students at one Sherman elementary school need of food assistance during the week and some of them don't have much access to food during the weekends. But now, one Texoma man is stepping up to help.
Sherman resident, Barry Fontaine said he couldn't bear the thought of kids coming to school hungry. So, he came up with an idea he called "snacks for success."
In January, Fontaine partnered with Neblett Elementary and now he's delivering snacks to kids in need.
Barry Fontaine loaded up carts Wednesday afternoon as he and Neblett Elementary School counselor, Vickie Giger, wheeled boxes of "snacks for success" into the building. Fontaine said he started the program when he heard kids have been coming to school hungry.

"It's surprised me, I did not know that we had that going on here. I heard the same sort of story from a teacher at another school, talked about kids coming into her class on Monday and licking their plates clean," he said.

That's when Fontaine partnered with Giger to get the program going at her school.

"I think it's wonderful. The kids are so excited on Fridays when the little cart comes in and they see the blue bag, they get so excited, they start clapping," she said.

Giger saw the need grow in the past three years, now 200 Neblett students need food assistance.

"I think it's an ongoing issue and I'm glad we're addressing it. But I think it's the sign of the times, recession, whatever but it is occuring so I'm so glad we're able to do something to help," she said.

Fontaine said his coworkers at Line-X Texoma and Credit Choice Motors were quick to offer their assistance when they found out about the program.

"I did not ask them, but they started coming to me saying 'hey we want to pitch in, I'd like to pitch in.' And we got people contributing every week to help take care of this thing for us," he said.

And Fontaine said it doesn't take much.

"Right now, we're spending about $190 a week, so, less than a dollar a kid," he said.

Kids in the program will each get a blue bag on Fridays filled with two fruits and two crackers and then return the blue bag that following Monday. Both Fontaine and Giger hope more people would step up to help other schools.

"Biggest concentration of need is in this elementary school for Sherman, most other places will have a smaller burden. Man, it's so easy. It's not a lot of money and it's not a lot of time," he said.

Snack bags will be given out on Fridays to kids in need. If you or your business would like to sponsor a school, contact Credit Choice Motors at 903-891-9938 or e-mail them at credit.choice@gmail.com

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