‘Once you get their bellies full, their physical and mental well being is better and their educational outcomes are better.’
Gurpaul Sohal, principal of Gladstone Secondary in East Vancouver, owes everything good in his life to a public education.
So naturally, he wants his 990 students to thrive in school.
“I ended up teaching at the high school I went to as a kid. The connections I have — the friends I’ve made, the families here — so much good in my life has come from an education.”
But the effects of poverty and hunger on the lives of some of his students are an impediment to a successful education — something he and his staff want to alleviate.
And the help the school receives from The Vancouver Sun’s Adopt-A-School campaign — which provides breakfast and snacks for hundreds of students a day — plays a massive part in that, he said.
“It’s fantastic to know a student can walk in and grab a granola bar, yogurt and some fruit, and get through the morning,” he said.
“Their attendance increases, their concentration increases, their connection (with staff) increases. Once you get their bellies full, their physical and mental well being is better and their educational outcomes are better. It’s the best contributor to having their dignity and needs met at school.”
The rising cost of rent, food and other essentials has outstripped the earning power of many families with low wages or on social assistance.
Even people who own their own homes were under stress, Sohal observed.
“That’s the reality of today. You can’t miss a mortgage payment, but you might be struggling in other ways.
“In schools now, we are seeing more of our work has to do with the whole student. It’s not just reading, writing and arithmetic. We have to deal with their social and emotional needs. Not just mark them absent if they are not here today. We need to look at the why.
“Because of this breakfast program, anecdotally, we see a decrease in absenteeism. We see students coming early to get breakfast and go straight to class.
“None of that happens without the generous donations that go to Adopt-A-School and find their way here.”
Gladstone is asking Adopt-A-School for $15,000 to continue its breakfast program. Without this grant, the program would have to close as there is no alternative funding available.
“When Adopt-A-School sends money for the breakfast program (it is fully funded by Adopt-A-School), it’s something that allows us to do the rest of the work with these students because their needs for breakfast have been met,” said Sohal, who is in his second year as principal at the school.
“This is not a deficit community. Every parent brings some strength to us when they send their child here. The financial crunch they are under at home is a reality, but we want to build on the strength their children bring.
“If we take care of breakfast with the support of the (Sun’s) program, we get to support the families that send us these amazing, athletic, academic, hardworking, eager, mischievous students.”
Sohal said four people in the school keep it going — school support workers Scott Deyell and Laurie Reid, librarian-teacher Hilary Montroy, and Shauna Mann, the youth and family worker “who holds it all together.”
Mann donates time on weekends shopping for food.
“She’s the one who says on Sunday, ‘There’s a deal at Costco for this food and I can save 10 per cent.’ She tries to make the dollars go further,” he said.
Gladstone is a school that doesn’t just rely on outside help for its families in need.
This winter, Mann has collected $2,100 from the staff to finance Christmas hampers for families who need help to get through the holiday period when school is closed.
All donations to Adopt-A-School will be sent to schools. There are no administration costs deducted from donations.
How to Donate
1. MAIL: Complete the donation form printed here. We accept Visa, Mastercard or a cheque or money order payable to The Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund Society. Mail to: The Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund Society, 400-2985 Virtual Way, Vancouver, B.C., V5M 4X7.
2. PHONE: To pay by credit card, call 604-605-2264.
Donations are tax deductible