Lashay’s Story: Care for All Kids

“I’m a single parent, so all the responsibility lies on me.”

That’s what Lashay told us when we met her at her workplace. And speaking of being responsible for children – Lashay doesn’t just have her own kids. She works as a principal’s assistant at Tri-Cities High School in Georgia, where she helps hundreds of children and teens to balance their academic and personal lives.

At home, Lashay is used to operating on a tight budget. With three kids, high food prices, and inflation, bills stack up quickly. She sometimes struggles to afford enough food for her family, on top of paying the necessary bills. The challenges Lashay faces are mirrored in the lives of the students she serves. Many of the kids at Tri-Cities are also working through adversity, experiencing poverty and contending with other factors outside their control.

Lashay helps them as best she can, but what they need most – her family included – is access to the same resources, like food and household and school supplies, that other people take for granted.

To help meet that need, Feed the Children opened a Food and Essentials Hub in Lashay’s school. The Hub is a free resource open to students and parents and provides food and supplies they need to thrive.

“A lot of them are amazed at the setup we have,” Lashay says. “We have an actual grocery store, where you can go and shop for items. They’re really surprised by that. And they love it. It’s a huge help to their homes.”

In the short time that the Hub has been a part of the school, Lashay has not only seen the tremendous impact it has had on students, but experienced it. Her youngest daughter, who is a 9th grader at Tri-Cities, has used the Hub:

“Being able to grab breakfast, so that she can concentrate in her first class, getting the energy to keep up, is so important,” she says.

Lashay explains how the Hub has helped other students as well. Its location within the school means that it is accessible to those who need it most, exactly when they need it: kids who work before or after school visit during the day to grab a meal to fuel their bodies or deodorant to freshen up. Young women can get necessary feminine hygiene products. And struggling parents can access the resources their families need in a dignified manner:

Lashay is always ready to recommend the Hub to new students who arrive to Tri-Cities. She’s proud of her contribution to helping students improve their lives, knowing firsthand what a difference it makes.

As a mom and a school staff member, she sees how the Hub – and your support – is changing lives each day.

“It’s been a big draw to our kids, to know they have a place to come where people care about them,” Lashay says. “Having (the Hub) has been a huge help for our children. I’m super thankful.”