Go and Be: The Church and Our Schools

Galilee member Julie Logan is the parent liaison at Seldens Landing elementary. At worship on Sunday, April 13 she told us about her role going to the community and being the church there. Here is what she said.

 

 

“Good Morning,

I am here to talk about the Backpack Buddy Program from the point of view of a Loudoun County Public School Family Liaison. I am a Family Liaison at Seldens Landing which is one of the schools our Backpack Buddy program serves. As some of you may know, there is a Family Liaison in every Loudoun County Public School. There are several things that a Family Liaison does, but the main goal is to link students and families to resources within the school and the community. 

I’ve been a Family Liaison at Seldens Landing for almost 8 years now. All 4 of our kids went through Seldens Landing. The position became available as our youngest, Michael, was finishing 5th grade.  I knew the school and the staff very well, so it made sense for me to take the position. And, since I have my Bachelors and Masters in Social Work, it was the perfect fit for me.

In this role, I’ve worked with families that are in hardship for a variety of reasons. The severity of the situations of my families range from living in their car to just having some trouble making ends meet. I’ve had families who are new to the country trying to get a fresh start; I’ve worked with a mom and the sudden death of her husband who was the breadwinner; I’ve worked with a dad whose cancer diagnosis prevented him from working; I’ve seen domestic violence situations, house fires, unemployment, homelessness, and deportation. Some families just need some help and guidance as they get back on their feet again and some require assistance long term.

At the beginning of every school year, I send a form out to the whole school. Any family in need of assistance can fill out this form and tell me the areas that they need help. These areas include food, school supplies, coats, clothing, vision exams, and health care; just to name a few. Some families just check a few areas of need and some check them all. I’d say about 95% of the people that complete my form check the box requesting assistance with food.

The help I can offer for food includes helping them apply for the Free and Reduced Meal program, referring to local food pantries, referring to holiday meal assistance programs, and connecting them with the Backpack Buddy Program.

As you know, the Backpack Buddy Program is there to offer food and snacks on the weekends. Many families rely on their children to eat breakfast and lunch at school. So, on school breaks and weekends, food is often limited for them.

For the students at Seldens who enroll in the Backpack Buddy Program, I deliver a bag to their classroom every Friday. I have private conversations with each teacher to inform them of their Backpack Buddy students so I never have to put a name on a bag.  I set the bag on the teacher’s desk. The teacher will then discreetly give the bag to the student and the student will put it in their backpack to take home. The teachers are all very helpful and supportive of the Backpack Buddy program. They know the importance of the bags getting home. They also know the importance of being discreet in respect of the student’s privacy.

I love my job and helping others, but I’d have to say it can be tough. It is very difficult to see the challenges and hardships of families living right in our own neighborhoods. But, there is a little side perk to my job. I get to see the excitement of the children when I deliver the Backpack Buddy bags. I’ve seen one of my students jumping excitedly as they were walking down the hall and he saw me coming with my cart. I’ve seen countless smiles of my students as I make eye contact with them when dropping off their bag in the classroom. I have one little boy who just gives me a little smirk when I drop his bag off. He joined the program in kindergarten and is now in 4th grade and every week for almost 5 years he’s given me that little smirk. I’ve had a little girl give me a hug and a drawing when I brought her bag. And I have gotten hugs and emails from the parents as they express their gratitude and relief.

I wish everyone could see these sweet reactions. Clearly the Backpack Buddy Program is satisfying a basic need. But the smiles, hugs, and emails of thanks show that this program does more than just provide food.

  • We are helping with the hunger pangs.
  • We are bringing joy, comfort, and consistency to these children.
  • We are giving a sense of relief to their parents.
  • And most of all, we are showing them that they are loved.

 

On behalf of these children and their parents, I and my fellow Family Liaisons thank you.

  • We thank you for your love, kindness, generosity, and support.
  • We thank all who have donated, sorted, stocked, packed, broken down boxes and delivered.
  • We thank Felicia and the Backpack Buddy team for their countless hours of shopping, ordering, fundraising, budgeting, and brainstorming.
  • We thank you, Galilee, for the Backpack Buddy program, for being the hands and feet of Christ, and for loving these children.

 

For more information about Backpack Buddies, click here. Also learn more about how you can Go and Be the church in our communities.