 OPINION – Commentary |
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| So easy: Cans and kids | |
| VICKI CABOT | |
| A kid cranks open a can of Chef Boyardee and hungrily scarfs down a mouthful of the neat cheese-filled squares dripping sweet tomato-ey sauce. Simple, says Holly Packer, as she conjures the stark image of hunger and how to beat it, as simple as a kid and a can. And so simple that it works.Packer’s brainchild, Just 3 Things (J3T), has been supplying food for kids in the Jewish Family & Children’s Service Real World Job Development Program for the past year or so. Packer collects and delivers two carloads of food a month to Real World’s westside facility, where kids ages 14-21 are working hard to turn their lives around. Many are veterans of the state’s foster-care system, some still living in foster homes or transitional housing, while others are on their own as they work toward educational and employment goals.
“Grab and go” says Packer, suggesting nonperishable, microwaveable items, like cans of ravioli and chili, boxes of macaroni and cheese, packets of cheese crackers and granola bars, jars of peanut butter and jelly for sandwiches. Inexpensive, tasty, easy to eat, the stuff kids like. Maybe even Packer’s kids, when they were still home. She and her husband, Jeffrey, a local nephrologist, have four, now ranging in age from 23 to 29, a daughter and three sons. Holly spent her time raising the kids while Jeff was building his medical practice. As their busy household became less so, she began looking for meaningful projects to which she could direct her energies. A nurse by profession, she had volunteered at a camp for underprivileged kids when growing up, later at her kids’ schools and in the community at Jess Schwartz and Camp Swift, but with the kids gone, she was looking for something more. A chance meeting with Gina Harper, Real World’s director, a tour of the center, a question, “Do you have food?” and Harper’s answer, “No,” got the wheels turning. Packer had her project. “I’ll get you food.” For kids on their own, whether in apartments, couch surfing with friends or homeless, food stamps are limited. Some, explains Harper, receive as little as $130 a month, much less if they are college students with Pell educational grants. Having food in the kitchen when they come to the center for counseling or classes helps. She started with a few friends and hit upon the idea of just three things, asking them to pick up three extra items when grocery shopping or open their cupboards and pull out three cans. She now sends a monthly email to more than 100 participants, November’s request is two cans of chili and a box of granola bars, and has marshaled networks of supporters from book groups to professional boards to local businesses. This month, Nordstrom is sponsoring a J3T food drive for its employees and Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center has a box in its lobby for donations. Packer says that others are asking guests to bring J3T donations in lieu of hostess gifts for holiday parties and families are considering using J3T packages as decor for bimahs and centerpieces at b’nai mitzvot. Packer, who was to be recognized for her work this week by the Association of Fundraising Professionals at its Philanthropy Leadership Awards Dinner, is self-effacing, yet her passion is palpable. “No one should go hungry,” she says. “And this is so easy. “Just open your cupboard.” And your heart. For more information, or to donate, visit: justthreethings.org. |
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