*This is a series of posts that will run until early January 2013 that will share inspiring stories of giving back and giving of yourself in order to experience the feeing of true happiness. If you have a story to share, please contact me directly at [email protected] or leave a comment below!
Something I've learned since becoming a mom and working with so many amazing yummy mummies is that if there's one thing moms are really good at, it's recognizing a problem and finding an appropriate and often creative solution. As moms, we often have no choice but to act as "problem solvers" for our own kids. But, this inspiration often extends beyond our own families as well. What inspires me even more about Karyn's story (below) is that she demonstrated this amazing problem solving ability long before becoming a mommy.
Karyn Sherman is a French junior kindergarten teacher in London, Ontario. She's also a brand new mommy to a little girl named Layla. Four years ago she came up with an idea that would go on to change the lives of many students and families within the school where she works. She partnered with her husband (then boyfriend) to bring this vision to life.
When you recognize a problem or challenge within your community, workplace, or home, do you leave it up to someone else to develop a solution, or do you step up in order to bring about real change? I think Karyn's story will inspire you to take action this Holiday season and into 2013. It certainly has inspired me!
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It was four years ago while watching The Oprah Winfrey Show that Food 4 Kids was born. Oprah was featuring a food program in North Texas that empowered children in a way I had never seen. As a junior kindergarten teacher, I saw firsthand the affects of poverty on children. My colleagues and I noticed when our students arrived with barely any lunch, and we felt helpless when they told us they were hungry. As I sat listening to the story of the North Texas food bank, I realized there was something we could do to help.
Food 4 Kids is a very simple program that my husband and I run out of an elementary school in London, Ontario (where I teach). Every Friday, children in urgent need of food leave school with their backpacks full of non-perishable food items. Teachers refer families to the program and parents are contacted for their approval. In four years we have never had a family refuse the helping hand. Many parents tell us how proud their children are to bring home the pasta, rice, soup, crackers, tuna, cereal, peanut butter, and canned items that will feed their family for a week. As they leave the school and pass by my classroom these students often give me a wink or comment on how heavy their backpack is that day.
From the inception the school board loved our idea and was more than willing to approve it right away. The tricky part was finding funding. There are so many worthy organizations out there looking for support, that it's not always easy to find funding sources. But, we have been very blessed to have the support of London Lawyers Feed the Hungry, CellCycle.ca, Norampac, Western Meal Exchange and an amazing team of parent volunteers. Our funders provide us with the money necessary to purchase the food needed by the families within our school community.
My husband Jake and I are still involved at every level. While I'm on maternity leave, a colleague at the school has agreed to step in and oversee the packing of backpacks on Fridays.
Over the past three years we have fed a total of 84 children and served 23 families. We have sent more than 6,000 food items home with the students, filling more than 1,000 backpacks-worth of food. I guess you could say we are making a difference, one backpack at a time.
Thanks to our current donors, we've never had to refuse a family. But we're always looking for more funding sources in order to keep the program running and extend our reach.
Now that I have a daughter of my own, I have become even more passionate about the program. I cannot imagine how hard it must be as a mom when you are struggling to feed your family. Any difference and helping hand we can offer feels great! Furthermore, I want Layla to grow up knowing how important it is to help others. What better way to teach her then leading by example.
If you are interested in starting a branch of Food 4 Kids in your area please contact us at [email protected]. If you are interested in donating to the program we would love to hear from you too!
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