Written By: SOS International
With Summer feeding in full swing, we thought it would be fun for you to hear from our SOS Local Team and hear their perspective on Summer feeding and more!
What happens to children who don’t have school meals during the summer?
1 in 4 children in Texas face food insecurity. Without access to the meals they get at school, most of these children will miss out on nutrition during the summer. At our feeding sites, we get to provide healthy meals to at-risk children throughout the summer.
– Elisha T., Director of Community Outreach
During the summer, the kids don’t always have something to do or look forward to. They seem to get a lot of joy when they know they will bring food to eat and kindness from our staff. It has an effect on their days, weeks, and even their year. There is a sense of desperation when they arrive, but a sense of relief always seems to overcome it. The children usually ask for food for their siblings or their friends who couldn’t join them that day.
– Jaylen H., Warehouse Manager
What does hunger look like in this community, specifically in the summer months?
In DFW, 1 in 5 children is food insecure. That’s around 436,000 children who worry about where their next meal will come from. The summer months are hard for parents who are already struggling, now have to provide meals for their children that they did not have to provide during school months. Dallas, Arlington, Irving, and Fort Worth school districts have over 60% of their students on the free and reduced lunch program, with Dallas and Irving having over 80%.
– Elisha T., Director of Community Outreach
What drives your team to keep going during the hot, demanding summer season?
What really keeps my team and me going during the summer months is seeing the positive impact we have on our community. There are many children with different needs, but they all have one thing in common: they need to be fed. Spending a few hours a day out there helping them feels like a small effort compared to the challenges these kids face without food. It may take a little sweat, but knowing we’re making a difference for these kids makes it all worth it!
– Jaylen H., Warehouse Manager
When you think about Summer Feeding, can you remember a time when an interaction with a family or child made an impact on you?
I remember a couple of summers ago, there was a grandmother who was given custody of her grandkids unexpectedly. She was worried about how she would feed each of them. As she was driving home with them, she happened to drive by one of our feeding sites. She pulled her car into the line and received lunches for each of the children. She returned every day we served throughout the summer to get lunches for her grandchildren. I’ll never forget how amazed she was that her prayers were answered in that way! – Elisha T., Director of Community Outreach
I remember my first day at a summer feeding site, it seemed like nobody was showing up. I asked my coworker if this was normal, and he casually replied, “Just wait; they’ll be here.” Not even two minutes later, after he said that, the kids started arriving, each with a huge smile on their face, excited to receive their meals. I just remember being so moved by how excited they were to eat, share, and give to other children who didn’t want to come, even if they didn’t have a lot. – Jaylen H.,Warehouse Manager
What’s the vision for this program in the coming years?
I hope the program can grow in the coming years, but we can only achieve this with the financial support of our community. The demand is significant, and we cannot meet it without the help and partnership of those around us.
– Elisha T., Director of Community Outreach
What kind of legacy are partners creating by supporting Summer Feeding?
Partners are giving these kids hope for their future. The children at the food sites truly look forward to the time we get to spend with them. It provides them with some structure in their lives during the summer, especially when there may not be structure in other areas of their lives. I believe that when they grow up, they’ll remember the times they were fed and hopefully use their own talents and resources to help others in need.
– Jaylen H., Warehouse Manager
What does it mean to you to get to work with so many partners?
Having many partners is wonderful because it enables us to reach and impact a greater number of people.
– Braxton O., Community Outreach Coordinator
It’s a blessing to see so many good people and organizations making a positive impact in their communities. I’m blessed to be in a position at SOS that allows me to help support each of them in carrying out their missions in their respective communities.
– Elisha T., Director of Community Outreach
What has been one of the most difficult challenges you’ve faced in your time at the warehouse, and how was it resolved?
It’s always been hard to turn potential partners away because we do not have enough donations to include them in our network. We have been fortunate to have some great donation partners, both financial and in-kind, but we continue to see the demand for assistance outpace our progress. We’re always in the middle of this challenge, trying to keep up with the demand. However, I believe that with the support of individuals and businesses who partner with us now and who will partner with us in the future, we will eventually be able to consistently keep pace with demand.
– Elisha T., Director of Community Outreach
What’s your favorite interaction or memory you’ve had at the warehouse?
I have a bunch, but really, I just love getting to hear our partners share a story about how SOS has impacted their ministry and the lives of those they serve. It serves as a powerful reminder of the difference we are making in our community. It’s easy to get caught up in daily routines, but hearing these stories helps us remember that people in need rely on our partners’ ministries to feed their families.
– Braxton O., Community Outreach Coordinator
One of my favorite memories is when we donated a bed to a veteran and her young son. The boy was so thrilled to have a bed that he couldn’t stop smiling and jumping on it. His mother was overwhelmed with joy to see her son finally have a bed to sleep in; she couldn’t hold back her tears.
– Elisha T., Director of Community Outreach
What do volunteers say about the work they are involved in?
When our volunteers visit our warehouse and see the work being done, they not only recognize the extent of the need in our community, but they also understand that they can make a difference and play a big part in the solution.
– Braxton O., Community Outreach Coordinator
How often do you need volunteers?
The need for volunteers varies throughout the month. We typically need volunteers for about five to six days a month. On the days we have volunteers coming, we prepare orders to be sent out to our partners. These orders are worth thousands of dollars and can impact hundreds of families by feeding them for up to two weeks.
– Braxton O., Community Outreach Coordinator
If you could share one message about the work here, what would it be?
What we do is truly life-changing. We provide hope to families who are struggling to put food on the table. While we mainly give food, we are also able to offer hope to those who cannot afford furniture or a bed to sleep on. We get to support families that just need a helping hand.
– Elisha T., Director of Community Outreach
When ten volunteers come to serve with us at the warehouse, they can distribute tens of thousands of food and drinks, reaching hundreds of people in our community over the course of a few weeks. It’s incredible what our volunteers can accomplish with just a few hours of their time.
– Braxton O., Community Outreach Coordinator
What would you say to someone who donated to make this warehouse operation possible? What did their gift help accomplish?
I believe that no gift is too small; every contribution makes a difference. Our shipments range in cost from $2,000 to $3,000, but each one can provide up to $300,000 worth of food and beverages. For those who may not be able to donate their time, financial contributions have equally significant impacts.
– Braxton O., Community Outreach Coordinator
