|
LAF Stories
Child Profile | Past Stories | LAF Graduates
Over the years at Loaves and Fishes there have been some
wonderful stories of the children, the challenges they have faced, and obstacles
they have overcome. Here we would like to give you a glimpse of the lives
of our children and volunteers.
Life with LAF
Sarah
Samantha
Life
with LAF
Anthony and Angela live with their mother’s
sister. Both parents (who are not together) have been in and out of jail for
drugs, shoplifting, bad checks and robbery. They have a history of making
promises but never following through. The children’s Aunt Theresa has five of
her siblings’ children living with her with two more moving in and out. Theresa
does not have a high school diploma and has been incarcerated herself, which
makes it difficult for her to get a good job. Her personal goal for this year is
to earn a GED. Meanwhile she does the best she can moving around from job to job
earning minimum wage and trying to raise five children. Needless to say, the
bills can be overwhelming. Water and electricity are on and off.
Angela and Anthony have been in Loaves and
Fishes for six years. Both were already two-three years behind and swirling in a
downward spiral at that time. They have been working very hard ever since and
have shown steady improvement over the years.
Anthony can read fairly well but struggles
with comprehension. He has a great work ethic, readily asks for help, and is
eager to do extra credit to get better grades. After starting the current school
year in 6th grade, he was promoted to 7th grade in October
and began his new classes October 17. He is ecstatic! Angela continues to
struggle academically. She has good work habits but gives up more easily than
Anthony. She often guesses at the answers. She has trouble with the mechanics of
reading as well as comprehension.
Anthony is a comedian. He loves drama and
theater. He also likes to draw and write poetry. Although he has a serious side,
he is very friendly, sociable and charming – a real people person. Usually he
can make the best of a difficult situation and doesn’t complain. He also has a
mind of his own. One day he showed up at Loaves and Fishes in a bright red
3-piece suit and top hat which he had worn to school that day.
It is taking Anthony a while to catch up in
academics but he is improving due to his great work ethic and his willingness to
ask for help. He can read but struggles with comprehension. He does extra credit
in order to get better grades. In fact, after being in school for two months
this year, Anthony was promoted to 7th grade and began his new
classes on October 17. He was ecstatic!
Angela is a tomboy. She likes to wrestle,
climb trees, wears a ponytail and does not like dresses. All of her “siblings”
at home are boys but she does not let them run over her. She is outgoing but
it’s hard to know what’s going on inside. She is pleasant-natured but insecure.
Her hygiene is neglected and she talks bad about herself.
Angela can be very aggressive in a negative
way. She picks at people in order to take the attention away from herself, but
she will apologize. Angela has been matched with a very attentive Big Buddy for
several years. This relationship has provided the positive role model she needs
and has helped her to feel loved and appreciated for who she is.
Theresa would be the first to say
that her family has changed dramatically since the intervention of Loaves and
Fishes in the children’s lives. Whereas the struggle has been for survival, now
there is hope for success. She herself is receiving the support she needs, the
children are doing better in school, and they have more respect for life.
Theresa tells that one rainy day an older lady was waiting for the bus in front
of their house. The children went and invited the lady to wait on their porch
out of the rain. When the lady replied that she was afraid the bus wouldn’t
stop, the children walked her to the porch and waited in her place at the bus
stop. Theresa said, “They would never have done that before Loaves and Fishes.
“Sarah”
She gets along
with everyone and always has a smile on her face. Last spring she won the Sharon
Williams Friendship Award at Loaves and Fishes for “excellence in showing
friendship toward peers.” She is a great social role model for other students.
She is in the 5th grade.
Sarah lives
with her mother and 12-year-old brother in her grandmother’s apartment. This
is the fourth place that she has lived this school year. The apartment
complex where she lives seems safe, unlike the last place she lived. One night,
the Executive Director of Loaves and Fishes, Susan Duncan, was taking Sarah
home, to her former apartment. Earlier that week someone had donated a barely
used girl’s bike to LAF and it was the perfect size for Sarah. While making
conversation, Susan asked, “Sarah, do you have a bike”? She said, “No, I don’t
but that’s okay because my mom doesn’t allow me to play outside anyway, it’s too
dangerous.” When they arrived at Sarah’s home, Susan asked, “Would you like
for to walk you to the door”? She respond in a quiet voice, “Yes, please.”
Recently, Susan drove Sarah to her new home at her grandmother’s apartment and
it was so different, it was much safer. After asking permission from her mother,
Susan gave Sarah the bike.
Academically,
Sarah is below grade level in both math and reading. She has recently undergone
psychological testing and evaluation at school to see if she might qualify for
special modifications and support. There is some evidence that her progress
has been impeded by a lack of stability at home which has caused a lot of stress
and anxiety. Her mother’s work schedule varies greatly and Sarah spends a
lot of time being shuffled around. They also have no home telephone and her
mother’s mobile phone is often turned off. Thanks to a special reading program
at school as well as the reading and tutorial help she receives at Loaves and
Fishes, Sarah has already shown improvement this year.
Loaves and Fishes serves as an effective liaison between Sarah’s home and
school.
For
example, school personnel tried unsuccessfully on numerous occasions to get
Sarah’s mother to complete a form that was required before they could proceed
with psychological testing. They finally called Loaves and Fishes for help.
Within two days the completed form was hand-delivered to the school by a LAF
staff member.
“Samantha”
This is
Samantha’s third year at Loaves and Fishes where she has been enrolled in the
Eager Beaver Program. This past summer, through Loaves and Fishes, she
participated in dance classes at Arts Together. She enjoys dance, gymnastics,
art and reading. She loves to learn and is on grade level in all subjects at
school. Samantha is in the 3rd grade.
Samantha has lived with her grandmother since she was a baby.
Her grandmother’s positive influence has been
very important. She has taught Samantha to be a kind
person and she has high expectations for Samantha’s behavior both at school and
at Loaves and Fishes.
Although Samantha’s social and academic progress has been good, she has been
hurt by her mother’s abandonment.
Her mother has not been present in her life until recently when
she started showing up with a new baby. The increased contact with her mother
has generated some feelings of resentment. Samantha does not understand how her
mother can take care of her baby but cannot take care of her. Another disturbing
event during the past year was the incarceration of her mother’s boyfriend for a
considerable period of time. He has been an important person in her life and she
really missed him. Another risk factor in Samantha’s life is the place where she
lives because it is not a safe place.
Loaves and Fishes has been a tremendous help to Samantha’s grandmother who has
made every effort to do the right things for Samantha. She stays in constant
contact with the LAF staff.
When
something happens at school that she does not understand, she calls a LAF staff
member. Last year she had perfect attendance at the LAF Parent Support Group
meetings. She follows through in the evenings to make sure that Samantha has
completed her homework and is ready for school the next day. In July when
Samantha’s school opened two weeks before LAF’s after-school program began, the
grandmother called very upset because she did not understand Samantha’s math
homework and could not help her. One of our staff members responded by going to
the house and worked with both of them on the homework. One of our primary
functions at Loaves and Fishes is to be a supportive presence to the family
in time of need – any kind of need – in order to
keep the child emotionally stable and the family moving toward a higher quality
of life. |
