Since my last post, people have been asking me to see Molly's poem so I thought I would share it here.
Molly decided to write her poem after volunteering as a packer for the Feeding South Dakota (FSD) BackPack program with a group from Teen Up. The staff explained to us the need for this program to help young people at risk for hunger during weekends and holidays when school is not in session. This is so important, especially when you consider that 1 in 5 children in South Dakota is at risk of going hungry.
One of the staff members at FSD shared with us a story about a child he met once, who told him that only thing he wanted for Christmas, was to not go on winter break. While most of the kids at his school were excited to see family, eat cookies, and receive presents, this child just wanted to know where his next meal would come from. This story became an inspiration for Molly.
Last week Numad had a chance to visit with Matt Gassen, Chief Executive Officer of Feeding South Dakota. One of the areas of Feeding South Dakota's work that I think is extremely impactful, are the creative ways they are working to bring meals more directly to young people who need them. They are putting food in places where kids already go in their communities, like libraries and clinics, and places that are close to housing areas where kids live, like fire departments. This makes so much sense. In most situations, young people will now be able to get to a place that will have food for them.
Smoke and Mirrors by Molly Larson
Life is an optical illusion
We live in a world of stories
And of perspectives
And of different angles
It goes beyond traditional tricks of the mind
Life throws in its own societal smoke and mirrors
You think that you know them
You think that you had them all figured out
You thought.
You though that boy in your class just had a big appetite
You didn’t know that he spends Christmas break
Waiting to go back to school
So that he doesn’t have to be hungry anymore
And you didn’t know that
All he wanted for Christmas was a warm meal
Or maybe a job for his parents
Or maybe a home
Home for the Holidays
When the home is brutally replaced
With Hungry for the Holidays
Cold for the Holidays
And Waiting for the Holidays to just be over
Lacks a certain amount of Christmas spirit
And doesn’t have quite the same ring to it
And I bet you didn’t know that that girl
Who everyone makes fun of for smelling bad
Hasn’t had a shower in weeks
Or a bed
Or a mom
I bet you didn’t know
That she’s so good at cross country
Because she’s spent her entire life running away
And that the finish line
Is nowhere in sight
She’ll keep running
Long after the race is over
Because she isn’t fueled by adrenaline
But by fear
The fear that homeless youth live with every day
Fear for their safety
Fear for their lives
And fear
Because they’ve been lost for so long
And they’ve lost so much
Not their phone
Not their keys
Their homes.
Their families.
And their hope.
But I can’t help wonder
If you’re ever really lost
If you never had a home to lose in the first place