“Buena Vista club member: Energy of kids with 'Shoes That Fit' 'contagious' - MLive.com” plus 1 more

Buena Vista club member: Energy of kids with 'Shoes That Fit' 'contagious' - MLive.com

Posted: 21 Dec 2010 09:32 AM PST

Published: Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 12:36 PM

BUENA VISTA TWP. — The excitement inside Saginaw County's Brunkow Elementary School Monday morning was as if Christmas had come early for the about 200 students inside.

In a way, it did.

Employees from nearby Nexteer Automotive and members of a group called the Breakfast of Champions Men's Club handed out new pairs of children's shoes to the second- through fifth-grade students as part of the club's Shoes That Fit initiative.

"It was great," said men's club member Gregory Carter. "The energy in there, it was contagious. It was overwhelming."

The club created a local chapter of the national Shoes That Fit organization last year, an initiative that provides footwear to children. Roughly 25 percent of Saginaw County children below age 18 live in poverty, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2006-2008.

With the help of Nexteer employees, they handed out shoes last year to students at Brunkow, 3000 S. 24th, and the Doerr Child Development Center, 3270 Perkins in Buena Vista, which houses students grades preschool through first grade.

Nexteer employees and men's club members were to hand out about 175 pairs of shoes at the Doerr center today.

"This thing just keeps growing in its scope and the amount of people who want to assist us," Carter said. "This is really starting to catch on. People understand the tight economic times we all are facing and have to deal with. People want to support us in any way they can."

Club members were able to secure shoes and funding from Target, Meijer and Payless Shoes stores, Carter said. A new contributor to the event this year is the We Care Ministries group from St. Paul Baptist Church, 120 N. 15th in Saginaw, which agreed to provide new coats for 10 students at the Doerr center.

"Children are the most affected by poverty in our community," Carter said. "You see this gap, you see this need, and just to be able to step in there and put in a little filler (to the gap) yourself, you can see the excitement and gratitude on the faces of these kids. It's worthwhile."

Nexteer officials were "pleased" to support the initiative, said company spokeswoman Julie Malesky.

"Community involvement is an important part of our core values and (Monday) was especially rewarding as we watched the excitement displayed by the students receiving their new shoes," she said.

Carter said the program will continue next year and beyond.

"Every year, we want to get a little bigger," he continued. "Next year, we want to add more partners and donors and touch the lives of more children."

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Breastfeeding boosts brain power in kids - KABC

Posted: 20 Dec 2010 03:09 PM PST

AUSTRALIA (KABC) -- Many studies have shown that babies who are breastfed tend to be physically healthier than babies raised on cow's milk or formula. Now new research finds feeding your child naturally could help when it comes to academics later in life.

The study published in the journal Pediatrics found that babies who were mainly breastfed for the first six months of life scored higher academically when they got older than children who were not breastfed.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between duration of breastfeeding and educational outcomes.

Australian researchers followed more than 2,800 babies born between 1989 and 1992 for 10 years. Results showed that young boys who were predominately breastfed for six months or longer had significantly higher scores on standardized tests for reading, math and spelling at age 10, compared to boys breastfed for shorter periods.

In girls, the benefits were not as significant.

Study authors noted not only does the nutrition found in mother's milk help brain power, but a number of other things could be in play. According to researchers, mothers who choose to breastfeed tend to have higher socioeconomic status and higher intelligence, and tend to be older and more educated. They say these factors could transfer to the children.

Researchers say the study adds to growing evidence that breastfeeding has beneficial effects on a baby's development.

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Kids Shoes

Tuesday, December 21, 2010