Dear Friends,
Remember what it was like when you were a kid and the holidays were approaching; just how hard it was to sit still and concentrate?
But in today's world, as the holidays approach, the teachers in Catholic Charities' Early Education and Care centers are challenged to prepare for a more serious cause for their students' reduced concentration: hunger.
The latest statistics on childhood hunger are staggering: nearly two-thirds of the nation's elementary teachers report that many of their students arrive at school hungry because there is not enough to eat at home.
Yet, we know there's a strong connection between eating a healthy breakfast and a child's ability to develop normally, get along with others, stay focused . . . and succeed in school and throughout life.
But in the current economy, more and more parents are struggling to put food on the family table at the end of the day. The problem is real - and it's right here in our own communities. Here are a few statistics of our own:
- Record numbers of children are participating in breakfast programs at our Child Care centers.
- Our food pantries have experienced record increases in demand this year. We anticipate an even greater rise over the holidays, when public schools are closed and income-eligible children do not have access to the nutrition that subsidized breakfasts and lunches provide
I hope you'll make a special gift during this holiday season in support of our Friends Feeding Families campaign.
Your act of kindness today will bring breakfasts to hungry children, stock our food pantries, help families and individuals address other critical needs through our many programs . . . and serve the poor and working poor with dignity and compassion.
So this holiday season, please be as generous as you possibly can. Thank you for your friendship - and may the holiday season and the year to come bring you peace and joy.
In gratitude,
Deborah Kincade Rambo, LICSW
President
