Tuesday marked the last day of school for Guilford County. My boys grumbled about going for the two mandatory snow make up half days before they could officially start their summer vacation. But once Tuesday afternoon rolled around, they were lounging around like they had been on summer vacation for months.
Let’s be honest…summer brings on challenges for all of us. As a mom who works out of our house, I have to figure out a way to have fun with my kids while also getting my work completed with little people climbing on my lap, asking me for help and settling “important” sibling debates. Working parents all over the triad are scrounging for camps and babysitters in order to juggle their work schedules and their children’s newfound freedom.
I also worry a little about my grocery bill. When my kids roll home from school, the pantry doors are wide open and I continuously hear a beeping from the fridge telling me that someone opened it again and forgot to close it. Now they will be home all day long, playing outside in the heat and I wonder how quickly they will eat me out of house and home. As a single mom supporting these growing boys, my grocery bill already rivals my mortgage payment and can be overwhelming.
As I write this, I notice from my office that someone has already helped themselves to an extra breakfast…the fridge stands wide open, a bar stool has been moved to the pantry doors, and an open milk container is sitting on the island with its top stranded on the floor (and of course, there is no child in sight). Normally, they would already be at school.
This struggle is huge for the 67% of low income children enrolled in GCS, who receive one or two meals from meal programs and weekend nutrition from their backpacks. I cannot imagine the panic that must set in for parents stuck in the poverty cycle or parents who have simply had a difficult financial year. It’s even harder for me to imagine kids who don’t get to enjoy a break from the rigor of school simply because they are hungry. Frankly, the idea is heartbreaking.
What can you do to make a difference? Follow the below link to find out about summer feeding sites that you can donate to. Every little bit makes a difference. And making a difference to a hungry child in the summer time is a beautiful thing.
Written on 6/18/2015 by Courtney Murphy
