ALASKA'S NEWSPAPER

| Updated: 12:24 AM

Project Citizen: Letters from Gruening Middle School 8th Graders

Students weigh in on helping homeless, secondhand smoke

Feeding the homeless

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We are searching for a way to better enhance the lives of the homeless in Anchorage. The homeless give a bad impression to tourists that come to A laska. They will also go to extreme measures in order to stay warm, like stealing and going to jail.

After much research we decided the best way to change this problem would be to donate uneaten school food to charities like Bean's Cafe and Covenant House. Title I schools receive an alarming amount of food from the government, but if it is left uneaten it is thrown away. Changes would be simple and inexpensive and could help feed thousands of homeless citizens.

I would like to request your help in the matter by informing superintendent of Anchorage schools Carol Comeau of your support.

- Danny Teeples

Bus tokens

We think that if we were to put out more bus tokens then it could reduce the death rate of homeless each year. The homeless could get to shelters without having to walk and have the possibility of being hit by a car. It will save some homeless from freezing to death. Finally, it will get some homeless to their jobs if they get one.

We believe that the best public policy to address this program is to reinstate the program through the municipality of Anchorage.That used to provide free or discounted tokens and passes for the city bus. This will allow more homeless people to access public transportation and services in the community.

- Hunter House

Secondhand smoke

Secondhand smoking is a state and national crisis. We are hoping to help people by limiting their contact to secondhand smoke. We are hoping that we can make it illegal to smoke near the entrance to any place a person works. This would mean that we could keep many workers in offices from having to breathe in the smoke of someone else.

It would also be help to make it illegal to be smoking in a car with a minor. This is a major threat to a child's health and development. Since they have no choice in the matter... this could/can be considered child endangerment.

- Zachary Spath

Waste not

My class would like to change the district rule that schools cannot donate leftover food. In this way we could stop perfectly good food from being thrown in the landfill and put it to a good cause, feeding our homeless.

Bean's Cafe is always in need of donations and this would be a welcome addition to their pantry. Not only will this help people who are already homeless, this will prevent people from becoming homeless. People who are not homeless but cannot afford food and their rent/mortgage come to Bean's Cafe to get a meal.

Please help us change this rule by contacting your representative and spreading awareness of this problem.

- Sydney Deering

Clear the air

We believe the best thing to do would be to implement a statewide ban on smokin in any public places such as restaurants, businesses, etc. and smoking in a car with a minor.

If you are in a car with a minor, the air is enclosed in the car - even if you have the window open the wind is just blown in the car. So opening the window doesn't help much.

- Krystil Hall

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