As the winter storm has worked its way towards St. Louis, I've talked to a lot of friends - teachers, students, and parents who don't feel like braving the weather to get the kids to school tomorrow - who are hoping/wishing/praying/doing ritualistic dances in their yards in hopes of summoning a snow day.

I can't say I blame them. My daughter's almost five, and she's convinced that her quality of life decreases with each day that passes without the opportunity to whip a snowball at me. While I can't say that I like being hit with snowballs - she fights dirty and packs them with ice - I'd love nothing more than to ignore the alarm tomorrow, sleep in, get my butt kicked around the backyard by my little snow monster, then curl up by the fireplace with hot cocoa. That's what snow days are all about, right?

Not for everyone. For plenty of parents and children, a snow day means uncertainty and fear. Working parents who rely on school for child care are left to scramble for a sitter. All too often, there's no money to pay for snow day childcare, which means lost income and job insecurity.

For a lot of kids, a snow day might mean a day of hunger. Of the 29 million kids who eat from the federally-funded school lunch program, 17.4 million of them are in free or reduced-price lunch programs. That number's increased by over half a million in the last year. Of the kids eating free or reduced-price lunches, 44% of them also rely on their schools for reduced-price or free breakfast. (Thanks to Share Our Strength for the numbers.)

So, what happens to these kids on snow days? How many of them can count on having those two extra meals at home? What kind of financial burden does this put on their families?

How can you help? By supporting the St. Louis area food banks that work to keep pantries stocked. What's a fun, easy way to support St. Louis area food banks? By going to LiveFeed-sponsored shows. Here's what's up for this snowy, uncertain week:

The Andrew Miramonti Trio plays a live show Tuesday at 9 at The Gramophone (4243 Manchester in The Grove). Brave the cold for some cool jazz.

Wednesday, the show goes on at The Gramophone with the weekly Blue Ribbon Open Mic Night with Tommy Halloran. Doors open at 8. Get there early to get on the performers list and take advantage of the $1.50 PBR drafts.

Thursday's Innerman Productions' weekly Mic of Knowledge featuring Koffee-N-T, The Queen's Army, and Lenny Mink at Queen of Sheba (6665 Olive at the corner of Kingsland in University City) . The musical and literary experience starts at 7. Cover is $5.

Friday night, come to The Gramophone for the jammy prog & funk of Springfield, Illinois' The Station, with openers The Werks from Dayton, Ohio. Cover's $5 and the show starts at 10.

On Saturday, Leslie Sanazaro will perform with her band at Brandt's Cafe (6525 Delmar, University City Loop) at 8. No cover!

Make sure to pay us a visit at the LiveFeed table at any of these shows. Pick up a copy of our SoundBites CD for $5. Drop some cash in the bucket. Every little bit helps hungry kids get through these cold days.