Symposium called to join forces to help local students
GEORGETOWN, Del. – Friday was a momentous day for Sussex County, as the first Feeding and Clothing Our Children symposium was held at Sussex Central. A first step to joining forces of those working to feed and cloth Sussex county’s children.
Organizations at the event that help to feed the food insecure include the Harry K Foundation. The non-profit has pantries in 36 Delaware schools, including 14 in Sussex County.
“Once everybody’s aware of what’s going on, that makes our job easier to feed those hungry kids,” said Harry Keswani, the founder of the Harry K Foundation.
Their goal from the symposium is to expand their reach.
“We need to double the amount of pantries we’re in right now, especially the elementary schools,” said Keswani.
Another problem facing local students is a lack of clothing.
Clothing Our Kids is a local non-profit that provided over 21,000 items to 4,000 children at all 34 county elementary schools.
“They don’t go to school on a regular basis, so they’re at an educational disadvantage. They’re at a higher risk for illness, and they don’t socialize normally,” said Glenn Schuster, the community outreach director for Clothing Our Kids.
Were told there is a link between kids who are food insecure and those who are under clothed.
With these organizations all under one roof, the goal is to bring everyone together as a team to help provide more services. Especially those in elementary school, where food and clothing can be critical to development.
“If they’re already coming in at a disadvantage, then they’re not starting off with that foundation that they need,” said Gloria Ho, a Delaware school social worker. “We want to meet their basic needs first and then look at academics.”
The Harry K Foundation currently serves 14 Sussex County elementary schools. While they do a lot to support local children, it represents only about 25 percent of the more than 50 schools in Sussex County, showing why they want to continue expanding their services.
