Ruleville Central Elementary, Mississippi
Students at Ruleville Central Elementary School in Ruleville, MS are having stunning results in health and academic performance from simply taking daily vitamins.
A staggering 29% of all U.S. children under 12 are hungry or at-risk for hunger. The impact is enormous and far-reaching. Children with nutritional deficiencies – even mild malnutrition - are destined to suffer from impaired brain function, stunted growth, and an increased propensity for violence and aggressive behavior. Research shows that vitamin intake has a positive effect on children that is measurable and lasting.
Through the Healthy Foundation's Vitamin Releif USA- Children First program, every day at-risk students at Ruleville Central Elementary receive free vitamin supplementation through the Healthy Foundation’s Vitamin Relief USA Program. Begun last year, parents and teachers are very excited about the results.
“They don’t complain about being tired anymore and are more physically active. My foster children are getting better grades in school” says Maggie Shipp, a parent. Another parent, Tracy A. Jetts adds, “My children don’t need a lot of my help like (they did) before they started the vitamins. But now, since they have been taking the vitamins, they think more and work very challenging problems with no help.”
In fact over 90% of the parents surveyed in this largely low-income African-American school want the vitamin program continued and over 50% felt their children were eating better, having more energy, are more physically active, are sleeping better and have shown improvement in their school work.
What was even more surprising was the impact of daily vitamins on students with ADHD. The principal was advised by her brother, a professional at the renowned Mayo Clinic, to tell the parents of her ADHD students to take the children off Ritalin and start taking the vitamins offered by The Healthy Foundation’s Vitamin Relief USA Program. After one year, the children are concentrating better at both school and home and behavior problems have lessened greatly.
Costing just pennies a day for one at-risk child, The Healthy Foundation’s Vitamin Relief USA Program assures that basic biological needs are met, while also improving health, well-being and the ability to learn. In December 2001, The Healthy Foundation was awarded an earmarked appropriation of $500,000 by the United States Congress, through the U.S. Department of Education, to conduct a study on the impact of vitamin intake on the academic performance of at-risk children. Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) sponsored the congressional appropriation for this study, now known as the Better Student Research Initiative™.
To learn more about the Healthy Foundation’s Children First Program, visit www.vitaminrelief.org.
