With so many people facing struggles this time of year, the Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation continues to seek the support of the community.
One of its own, Program Coordinator Vicky Struthers, shares her story about why the Learning Foundation is so important.
(Submitted to Quinte News)
From Homeless to Helping Others – Making Futures Bright for Students
Imagine for a moment you are 12 years old, and homeless. It isn’t something that she shares with many people, but it was her reality. Vicky Struthers is a wife, a busy mother of a beautiful two-year-old daughter, and the Program Coordinator with the Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation (HPELF), and this is her story.
Being homeless isn’t something I really understood back then, but I do remember vividly how it made me feel. Looking back, I know that being homeless is the reason I’m so passionate about what I do for a living, and it helps me understand the positive impact my work has on my community.
A few weeks ago, I was driving in the car with my two-year-old daughter, Vada. Like many of our road trips, Vada was full of questions, trying to understand the world around her. Vada was asking Mommy why she had to work, followed by at least six more why questions.
It wasn’t until I was 34 years old, explaining to my toddler why I am so passionate about my work that it occurred to me that although we had family and friends to take us in temporarily when we were evicted from our house – we were homeless. I remember the eviction, the packing, the uncertainty,
but most of all, I remember how it made me feel.
At only 12, I was scared, I was sad and for the first time in my life, I had an uneasy feeling. I didn’t have my normal comfort and stability. But what I did have, was a school breakfast program. It was my safe place. It was the place I could go that had friendly smiles, a nutritious meal and friendships that helped me through one of the most difficult times in my life.
Today, I often wonder how my experience as a child would have been different if I had access to all the programs that are made possible for students through the Learning Foundation. I think about my experience, and I am proud that the work I do is helping students who are just like I was back then.
Local school breakfast programs have evolved into the Food for Learning programs we see in schools today. Last year, Food for Learning provided over 1.4 million snacks and meals to local students. In fact, Food for Learning is accessed by an average of over 7,000 local students each day!
The Food for Learning program isn’t just a meal or a snack. It’s safety and security. It’s a friendly smile, a much-needed source of nutrition and friendships that can make a student’s day – and help build confidence.
When I was a child, we didn’t have the Sharing Cupboards program. But students today do. Sharing Cupboards are currently available in seven local schools, which includes all secondary schools in HPEDSB, to provide a supply of nutritious food and household items for students to take home.
Another service that I wish was available to me as my family struggled with uncertainty was the Student Emergency Fund. It is a program that I am personally very proud of. It is accessible to children and their families when they need us the most, in emergency situations that are unexpected,
unforeseen, and require immediate action so students can continue to fully participate in their learning.
During the holiday season I will get to spend time with my family and friends. I will enjoy the comfort of a warm home, the fun of holiday traditions and the excitement of a daughter as she experiences the joy of living in a home that is safe and loving.
While I am with my family and friends over the holidays, I will feel extra thankful. I will be grateful for the work that I do, and the impact that my work has on students and their futures.
Thank you to our community for the generous support of The Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation for being the hope and strength for students in situations like I was.
This holiday season, we encourage you to show your community support by making a donation to the Learning Foundation – as needs are growing in our community, we are looking for your support to help students succeed.
Vicky Struthers, Program Coordinator with the Hastings and Prince Edward Learning Foundation, and her family. (Photo: submitted)
