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 Posted 7/23/2007 1:07:21 PM |
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| After just finishing our VBS on Friday, WAHOO, I finally have a minute to ask a question that our VBS team worked very hard on: Why doesn't group supply an alternative option in their snacks for allergy kids? Why do we have to find alternatives each year? We have children that are allergic to: milk, nuts, fish, red dye, oats, and last year corn. Oh my that was hard. WE try very hard to make a subsitute that will still taste good with the others things listed and can still be used in the storytelling but jell-o just doesn't taste good with oreo crumbs on it and a cherry. Almost every day had to have a subsitution on it. Would Group please consider listing alternatives for us? It would help sooooo much. I apology if this has been mentioned in the forums before. Thanks.
Jo Bowie - ArkansasChildren's Ministries Director "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15
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| Posted 7/23/2007 2:09:54 PM |
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We try to avoid the biggest allergy (peanut butter) but honestly can't address every single potential allergen you might encounter. It's been our experience to allow churches to monitor that on an "as needed" basis. Most parents of kids who have allergies are very willing to give suggestions.
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| Posted 7/23/2007 3:07:27 PM |
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| Jo I am curious as to how many children you had with allegies vs the total number of children served. Most parents I know (including my own when we were growing up) provided snacks for their children, and did not expect the church/school/club to find stuff their children can eat. I can certainly see why Group does not do this. The cost of the snack book (and possibly the ingredients) would skyrocket.
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| Posted 7/25/2007 12:17:06 AM |
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As a mother of a child with multiple allergies, I do not (and did not) expect the church or even my kid's school to accommodate his special dietary restrictions, and pack food for him all the time. My son is allergic to 6 foods (but not peanuts) and many of them are very difficult to avoid in typical snack-foods (milk, oats, corn & soy).
I had an advantage this year, since I was a co-director I had a copy of the snacks & how they related to the lesson, and found my own allergy-free alternatives that allowed my son to have snacks that were very similar to what everyone else was eating.
However, I can see how a parent of a walk-in camper with allergies would not have had the time to plan ahead (at least for day 1). Our registration volunteers had parents talk to our 'camp nurse' during registration, so we were aware of what the allergies were and what a reaction would look like (allergic reactions can be very different from one person to the next). Since I wasn't directly involved with the snacks (or lunch, since we serve lunch as well), I'm not sure if our kitchen staff had to customize food for any other allergy kids... but I know they were very thankful that I brought my son's items each day.
So, I guess my long-winded post is mostly meant to say that I think it should be on the parents' shoulders to work with the church to find alternatives - either for the entire VBS, or just for their child (and provide what is needed if it's just for their child). In all honesty, it's too easy to "miss" an allergy ingredient in things like crackers or meats (my son is also allergic to chicken & pork), so I'd rather feel confident that he has things that are OK because I OK'd them. And it can be very expensive to find alternatives to ALL the possible food allergies out there, especially if you have 120+ kids to feed.
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." ~Matthew 28:19-20
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