A spirited back-to-school giveaway
My church in Columbus, Ohio, Vision of Breath with Life Ministries, hosts an annual back-to-school giveaway in August on the far east side of town, in the Leawood neighborhood. The need for assistance with school supplies, clothing and food in this area is great, as the poverty rate is just over 18%. Parents of school-age children living in this residential section are definitely feeling the economic pinch as school supply prices have risen. Even the basics like pencils, erasers, glue sticks, scissors and notebook paper have gone up. According to the Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation, parents are paying an average of $173.45 for school supplies this year, an increase of nearly 7.7%. Whether ordering online or going to Walmart or Target, parents are paying 20% more for notebooks, tissues and index cards, 5% to 7% more for binders, crayons and colored pencils, and 27% more for lunch boxes. My church ordered most of the classroom essentials, including rulers, graph paper, pens, highlighters, pocket folders, markers and composition notebooks. We also had some backpack donations. For the families we were blessed to assist, the money they saved on these materials could go toward school lunches for their children. Lunch prices have soared as well, with the Groundwork Collaborative reporting price increases: A loaf of sandwich bread is up 22%, apple juice is up 20%, and two of my childhood lunch favorites, a pack of animal crackers and chocolate chip cookies, are up 16% and 14%, respectively. Given these rising food costs, every school packet my church put together helped parents stretch their dollars even further.
As my church has held our school giveaway for the past several years, I have begun to pay closer attention to the demographics of the community we serve. We are in the process of building an edifice in the Leawood area, and many of the families that reside here are working-class and poor, with a sizable number of single mothers. As the cars began pulling up, I also noticed that many grandparents were the primary caregivers for children and were especially appreciative. The little girls who received the pink backpacks that I handed out beamed with excitement. I truly believe that the spirits of the parents and grandparents who stopped by were lifted, as this is a very difficult time for them financially in our current economy. When struggling to make ends meet, it’s easy to feel forgotten and unseen, so community outreach events like ours mean a lot.
One of the primary objectives my pastor, Overseer SD Carter, has always stressed to us when going out into the community is that we are not only there to help people with their physical needs but also to minister. Many people have asked for prayer for themselves and their children while attending our school giveaways. Some have shared the tough circumstances they are facing, and others have simply hugged us and cried when hands were laid on them. The weight of the burdens they are carrying not only reminds me to be grateful for what I have and not to complain but also to be humble in giving graciously of my time as I share necessary resources and the love of Christ with others. Jesus’ greatest work in public ministry was that He knew how to heal individuals’ brokenness while addressing their vital survival needs. The people in the Leawood vicinity need to know that there is concern for their plight and that our church will serve as a place of refuge, comfort and care as God works through us.
My pastor has already begun planning next year’s giveaway, which will include providing sneakers and store gift cards. Once our church building is complete, I look forward to teaching classes to help young people prepare for college or technical school. Hebrews 13:16 comes to mind here; it says that when we “do good and share with those in need,” such sacrifices are pleasing to God. The Leawood residents are well worth the sacrifice.
Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University’s Lima campus. Email her at smojc.jj@gmail.com.