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When my children were younger, I worked at a summer camp. They got to go for free and I worked as the Arts and Crafts counselor. I actually really enjoyed the work and so many happy memories are founded from this time at the camp, participating and seeing my daughters so incredibly happy. But the work was not easy.
When they phased out of camp, I started to work as a summer school teacher. I taught English in stifling hot classes for over seven summers. It never failed to amaze me how many students actually enjoyed coming to summer school, even seemed to fail a class or two during the school year in order to attend.
As I grew older, I grew wiser.Â
It started to dawn on me the real, underlying reasons why summer school had full attendance. For some children, it was better than being at home. Here was safety, structure, cleanliness, relief from boredom, relief from babysitting their younger siblings, a chance to see friends and food. Yes, food. Even writing about it now brings tears to my eyes.
Many of my students, and many across the country, do not get to eat three meals a day. For them, the free breakfast and lunch was a chance at nourishment. Thankfully school food has begun an overhaul, in terms of nourishment, but stop and imagine for a moment: what would it be like to go hungry without a meal provided by the school.
Let me tell you about "Sam".  Sam walked around in sneakers two sizes too big for him, hand-me-downs from his older brother, because his family could not afford new sneakers for him. One day I saw him in the school cafeteria, looking disheveled, dirty and totally ostracized from the other students. I sat down next to him and asked him how he was feeling, how was his day going, etc. He looked at me and said, "Ms. K. I am hungry. The school says I don't qualify for school food."
I asked him if his parents got new jobs (last he told me they delivered newspapers in the morning) and he told me no. I asked if they filled out the forms necessary for free school breakfast and lunch. He said they didn't know how to. I went immediately to his school counselor and "calmly" told her she had better help Sam or else.
Sam got school food starting that day and through his senior year. Although very smart, I saw Sam every summer in summer school. I was no longer surprised. Sam also had an "anonymous" sponsor who made sure he had a new pair of sneakers and clothes, paper and pens and notebooks at the beginning of the school year. The sponsor even bought him a sewing machine and materials.
But how many children have I failed during the time that I was unaware of the "unspoken reason" for their summer school attendance? How many children were living in neglect, by fault of their parents or by fault of circumstance? I no longer teach summer school and each summer the thought crosses my mind that I am not there to advocate for them.
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Comments: 67
Thanks for sharing with Gather's Best Writers and Artists.
Your comment was very much welcomed. Thank you for adding to this post, which I feel may be my most important non-fiction post, to date.
JM it is so important to bring this to attention as summer programs and funding are fading and when children are alone and without good structure and resources, summer may not be so fun.
The Decline of Children and the Moral Sense
Problems that used to be rare are becoming mainstream
Published on August 15, 2010 by Darcia Narvaez, Ph.D. in Moral Landscapes
I feel this may be one of the most important non-fiction posts I've written.
Thank you for sharing with: Not Gathering Dust!
You have my heart on this post. My Bill just came home from a "delivery." Small world.
Is it possible that that kind of support can still lead to a GOP upset? It doesn't seem possible now, but stranger things have happened. The GOP has a lot of supporters with deep pockets.
It's so depressing to see that democracy has come to a matter of so much money but there we are.
And thank you, my friend.
On weekends at home we mostly lived on bread sprinkled with sugar, and pork belly for Sunday lunch. There were 2 years where my mum left on and off for days...food was scarce and I know how it feels to go hungry, but I would never admit that to anyone, would not even accept sharing someone's lunch. And yet I remained healthy...food has never been my main interest in life, though. I often have to remind myself to eat!
I admire your compassion, Michelle, you have such a big heart. My fondest memories of childhood are the very few people who took a genuine interest in me, despite my background. YOU would have been one of them!
xoxox
:))))
That was true back in times of war and it must be true even more so now. We can afford to pay for ballparks with tax money we can damn well afford to feed children.
You know I agree with you, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to go that way.
Indifference is hate with a yawn.
Thank you posting to the Triple Name Club.