From the Inside - Shelly Bratcher
After 29 years in public education, and 2 years working as a consultant for Waymaker Leadership Development, Dr. Shelly Bratcher shares her perspective about the impact of FOUND. We are honored to have Shelly on our board - not just because of her wisdom and experience, but also because of her heart for students and educators. She gets it. Her perspective from the inside is powerful:
Recently, while watching the news on hunger in America, I learned some staggering statistics.
Imagine a classroom of 22 students. At least three of those students are food insecure. According to research, 1 in 7 people experience food insecurity — meaning they do not have enough food to eat and do not know where their next meal will come from.
Here in Texas, that reality affects 1.7 million children every single day who face uncertainty about their next meal. (Sources: Hunger in America, Feeding America)
When we take those statistics and place them inside our own neighborhoods and schools, it means thousands of children right here in our community will open an empty refrigerator this week. Thousands will go to bed hungry tonight.
And hunger does not walk into the classroom quietly.
As an educator, I have seen, and research confirms, that hunger affects more than the stomach. It impacts concentration, memory, mood, and a child’s social and emotional wellbeing. (Source: NoKidHungry.org)
I have watched hunger pull a student’s attention away from learning.
I have watched hunger affect behavior and emotional regulation.
I have watched hunger lead to embarrassment and anxiety.
Over the years, I have met hunger face-to-face in the classroom, in the hallways, in the cafeteria and on duty.
I have worked with students who cannot focus because their stomachs are growling.
I have welcomed children who arrived late to school, already in tears, because breakfast was missed — and the last meal they had was the night before.
I have sat with students worrying about dinner. Together with the Community in Schools rep or the counselor, a plan was devised on how to care for themselves and siblings.
I have seen students act out, not realizing hunger was the silent trigger behind their frustration.
I have watched grades slip under the weight of an empty stomach.
Hunger is real.
Hunger is seen.
The impact of hunger is significant.
Yet, in the midst of the struggle, I have seen incredible compassion rise.
Teachers have pulled from their own pockets to make sure a student eats.
I have seen educators quietly build “snack boxes,” knowing a granola bar may be the difference between hope and despair.
Staff have escorted families to the food bank after school because transportation wasn’t available.
Communities have rallied during holiday breaks, ensuring students still have meals when school cafeterias are closed.
Educators have sat shoulder-to-shoulder with me as we brainstormed how to support hungry children who deserve more than survival.
I began this post with statistics, but hunger is far more personal than numbers.
Hunger is a story unfolding in classrooms every day.
It is an unspoken challenge that sits beside educators as they teach, nurture, and support students.
Policies may shift and laws may change, yet the faces behind the need remain.
This is where FOUND steps in.
FOUND partners directly with school staff — the people who know the names, the needs, and the stories.
Through that partnership, snacks, hygiene products, clothing, and school supplies get directly into the hands of the students who need them right now.
FOUND removes waiting.
FOUND removes barriers.
FOUND allows hope to show up — consistently, quietly, and compassionately.
Every day, children are reminded:
You matter.
Your needs matter.
We see you.
You are worthy.
The barriers, they are still there. However now there is a strategic way to knock down those barriers both for students and the educators that serve them.
What a true blessing it is to be a part of FOUND—-where compassion becomes action.
#BeTheLight
