Puente De Maravillas Foundation prunes nutritional deficits

A generous Puente De Maravillas Foundation grant reduced nutritional deficiencies in abused and neglected children living at The Ark Assessment Center and Emergency Shelter for Youth during a six­-month period.

The grant purchased groceries to feed the residents three complete nourishing meals per day (including entrees, vegetables, starches and dairy), desserts, snacks and drinks approved by the state.

Although nearly all of them were nutritionally deficient upon their arrival, paring down their shortcomings called for more than merely buying food. The children’s needs required the staff to teach them things they should have learned from their parents, like training young ones how to use eating utensils so they wouldn’t eat with their hands.

A child is allowed to eat with his or her fingers the first couple of days following admission. After that, the youngster spends mealtimes one-on-one with a staff member for a couple of days. First, the resident is fed with a spoon. The next step requires the staff member’s hand to be placed over the child’s hand that is holding a spoon. That is followed by observing the youngster using the utensil on his or her own that also includes the monitoring of portions consumed. It takes a resident two to three weeks to master the use of eating utensils. Through practice, a little one transitions from drinking out of a sippy cup or a bottle to a cup.

Most of the children were malnourished. Incredibly, those with that condition routinely stare at their food for long periods as if they don’t know what to do with it. They hadn’t developed healthy eating habits because their parents didn’t reinforce the importance of eating nutritiously. That’s often the case when parents are seldom home due to other priorities. If a youngster isn’t used to eating properly, it’s hard for him or her to hold down food due to diarrhea, stomachache, constipation, etc., but it usually goes away after the first week or two of residency at the shelter.

The residents learned the importance of consuming three daily nutritious meals and snacks, which promote healthy eating habits and improve general health.

Incentives were used to gradually accomplish the goal of getting them to eat those meals and snacks. They had to try foods that were new to them – at least one spoonful. A disliked healthy food could be substituted for another healthy food.

The children were told things like “spinach and squash will make you stronger,” “carrots have vitamin A that helps with eyesight” and “milk has calcium that makes bones and teeth stronger.” Those that didn’t like meat could eat peanut butter, which – like meat – has protein.

Eating healthily decreased their nutritional deficiencies. The residents gained a normal or healthy weight, denying poor nutrition the chance of limiting their memory development and affecting the rest of their lives. After the weight correction, they looked as normal as other healthy youngsters. They reached their proper developmental stage, prompting positive changes that caused them to exhibit signs of improved general health and giving them a better chance of reaching their potential.

The Puente De Maravillas Foundation’s generosity is deeply appreciated.