Interview with Jessica Hays - Part 2
Thank you for coming back to read part two of an interview with Elida Elementary social worker Jessica Hays.
MTM: For many of us, it is difficult to comprehend how a child in our area can be going hungry. There are food pantries, soup kitchens, discount grocery stores, and government assistance. Why do you think Meals 'til Monday is necessary to get food into these kids' hands? What factors do you see that create the problem of a child not having enough food?
JH: The situations that our students face vary widely. Some of these homes may have the basic supplies, but no adults to help the students prepare a meal. Also, the students may be lacking the skills needed to put a nutritious snack together themselves. For example, I asked a student last year why she didn't eat breakfast one day. She told me that they had bread, but she wasn't allowed to use the toaster by herself. I asked if they had other things she could put on her bread to make a sandwich, but they didn't have anything like peanut butter that day, and she didn't think about making something like a turkey sandwich for breakfast. So in some cases, the food in the house is not "child-friendly" or the child doesn't have the problem solving skills to improvise (which is why I'm excited that Meals 'til Monday is providing items the kids will have no trouble preparing themselves!).
Discount grocery stores and food pantries are helping a lot of our families, but most require the recipients to pick up the food. This is a problem for our families that have no transportation. Many areas of Elida are not within easy walking distance of stores or bus lines, so those without their own car (or the money to buy gasoline) are excluded from these services. These families may have access sometimes but not others, so food in the home is not always guaranteed.
Government assistance programs also help many families get food they otherwise couldn't afford, but it is not foolproof. Again, there is an issue of transportation. Unfortunately, there are also instances where people abuse the system and trade the goods they get from their Ohio Direction Card (formerly food stamps) for things like alcohol, drugs, etc. While these families receive assistance, the kids may never see actual food.
MTM: Again, we extend our gratitude to Jessica for this interview. By asking just a few questions, we have had our eyes opened to the bigger picture. In recent months, Meals 'til Monday was established as a direct response to information like you have read in this two-part interview and God's leading. We believe Jesus allowed us to see a need and then gave us a choice: look the other way and continue with life as normal or "follow Me". We know the needs of this world are many, and God will not ask everyone to be a part of Meals 'til Monday, but if you would like to know more about teaming up with this organization, we invite you to check out The Response section of our website.
