2008.11.16
Churches need to educate our youth
Roanoke School Board Chairman David Carson recently called out black churches without realizing it.
Carson wrote a compelling commentary in this newspaper last month pointing out how everyone can do more to help improve the city's abysmal graduation rate.
About halfway into his piece, Carson acknowledged the three-year contribution of "diverse places of worship such as Second Presbyterian, Christ Episcopal, Central Church of the Brethren, Beth Israel, First Christian, Greene Memorial, St. Mark's Lutheran and Jesus Is Lord Assembly."
With the exception of Jesus Is Lord, the places that Carson acknowledged for providing a steady flow of volunteers, supplies and weekend snacks to disadvantaged children are predominantly white.
Carson's list inadvertently highlighted a conspicuous absence from Roanoke education I noticed a year ago.
Where are the black churches?
A few days after Carson's commentary, the Roanoke school division invited a cross section of nearly two dozen churches to a "faith breakfast" to plead for their involvement with the school system.
Among the guests were representatives of many black churches, including prominent congregations.
The question now is: What are you going to do?
Black churches have long been the centers of communities, particularly in moments of crisis. Roanoke's graduation rate is a crisis.
Some of you are making efforts here and there. But Roanoke's children deserve more than splintered fits and starts.
They need a collective show of support to help turn back this wave of anti-intellectualism that has blinded a generation to the value of education and the possibilities it brings.
The school system isn't asking for anything extraordinary. It is asking Roanokers -- black, white, old, young -- to care.
It wants us to care that fewer than six of every 10 students who start high school in Roanoke finish with a diploma. And that more than four of every 10 kids leave high school more likely to be unemployed, in poor health, living in poverty and on welfare.
It wants us to care that too many of Roanoke's students don't care and are throwing their lives away.
What churches can do is provide encouragement when students are young, talk up education as the way to self-sufficiency. Feed them, clothe them, buy them pencils, shoes and coats if they need it. Commit to assigning mentors and tutors.
If children aren't getting the support they need at home, then it falls to the community to pick up the slack.
You can do it, because it's already being done.
The churches that Carson referred to have come together to form Congregations in Action. They work closely with schools, including Highland Park Elementary. At Highland Park, congregations send home weekend snacks with some students at the school where more than 60 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
(Some readers will smear free and reduced-price lunch as another government giveaway, but if the program wasn't there, some of these kids wouldn't eat. Ask an educator. Better yet, ask a disadvantaged child.)
Each church in the coalition pays $300 a year to purchase food through the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank. Food Lion donated 2 tons of food worth $10,400.
That's what organization and structure bring -- the attention and support of others who want to help, who can help.
When Congregations in Action began three years ago, they sent home 36 care packages each weekend. Last year it jumped to 64, and this year the number is 110 youngsters.
Sure, the purpose of the church is to spread the Gospel. But as my sister occasionally says, some of us are so heavenly bound that we're no earthly good.
Some churches will say they don't raise enough money to sustain a program. But each week, the paper is loaded with announcements for church and pastor anniversaries. We're showering gifts and accolades on the pastor and the first lady, but what's being done to help the impoverished and hopeless children in the pews? In the neighborhood just outside the church doors?
At the faith breakfast last month, school Superintendent Rita Bishop challenged church leaders.
"You have to be a broker of hope," she admonished.
Again, on behalf of our schoolchildren I ask, what are you going to do?
Shanna Flowers' column appears Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Shanna, I'm curious to see what your editorial board "cousins" would feel about this. Some of them are almost anti-church-in-anything, possibly forgetting that one mission of most churches (that I am familiar with) is community assistance. This assistance is often provided with *no* mention of God or attempt to "recruit" receivers into the church.
But I digress. Programs like these are where I see better application of power by people. Locally generated, locally administered, better able to fit the community's specific needs, and typically lower overhead so a better percentage of the assistance reaches those who need it.
Comment by Ed S. — November 16, 2008 @ 12:21 pm
It's another excellent article, Shanna. You're at your best when you serve as a more or less gentle prod for Roanoke citizens who need it.
Can churches help in getting parents more involved in the education of their children?
Golly, I hope so. Even if to just be cheerleaders for their children.--s
Comment by LRS — November 16, 2008 @ 4:34 pm
LRS is right on. Very well written piece with some real good thoughts.
Comment by Mike — November 16, 2008 @ 10:39 pm
My church is among those listed in the article, and my family and I have donated to the effort. One thing that bothers me, though, is the request for juice boxes. While volunteering in one of the schools participating in this program, I've noticed the number of kids receiving these snacks are overweight and out of shape. Obesity is becoming epidemic in this country, and we are told the first thing to cut out is liquid calories. The juices actually have a really low nutritional value and provide a ton of calories. They are also quite expensive. I think our community's children would be better served by water.
My other thought in participating in this program is the thought that no one is going to feed this child over the weekend. Don't get me wrong- that may happen. I am just asking the question and truly seeking some sort of answer- who fed this child for the first six years of his/her life? Who feeds this child during the summer? And do our parents have any sort of responsibility left in raising a child? Our schools transport them, teach them and feed them. A lot of schools provide clothing as well. Our churches and community organizations provide a multitude of services. Our federal government provides housing, food stamps, etc. I would really like to know...where are our parents and what exactly is THEIR responsibility here? We absolutely need to help people up, but the person in need has to help, too, or things are never going to change. We will keep repeating this cycle. I want to help, but I am at a loss at how we as a community, and nation, make people want to help themselves.
Comment by Hard Working Mom — November 17, 2008 @ 8:34 am
Hard Working Mom - I think you make an excellent point. Programs that assist the less fortunate I think are absolutely essential. Some people really do need these things to get by and to get on their feet. Now, some will have a harder time than others actually getting on their feet whether that be because of mounting difficulties they face or they simply begin to rely and become comfortable relying on these programs. I think that a person/family that receives special assistance should be required to take some sort of a course offering related tips to better themselves. For example, I just did some volunteer work by doing some much needed home improvement work on a house. the homeowners should have to go to a one-day type of homeowner's course for tips about maintaining their home or tips for saving money, avoiding bad loans etc. but to my knowledge many of these assistance type programs give services but no education.
"Give a man a fish and you've fed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Comment by HCS — November 17, 2008 @ 1:42 pm
HCS-
I couldn't agree more on your comments, especially the quotation. I just feel strongly we've got to stop just giving, and substitute with assistance coupled with some motivation...motivation to improve one's lot. We can't continue on this current path. Thanks for your thoughts.
Comment by Hard Working Mom — November 17, 2008 @ 4:01 pm
Why is it in our society, the thought exist that someone else is responsible for raising our children, other than parents who brought said child into this world? Yes, issues like divorce, health issues, ,finances, death, and unruly kids/or parents, change that landscape, but issuing a summons for the church to be responsible, is just not right in my book. When someone is backed in a cornor, they might react, but not always in the expected/desired way. In the best of all worlds, our children should be safe in their home, insulated against the negativity, that can be in the world, and taught the tools that one needs to have a happy, sucessful life, including, emotional values. And that as I see it starts in the home, and shored up in the school system. But that is not done far too often, and spiritual beleifs are of upmost importance.
importance: it does take a village. A society of well intentioned, careing adults, mentors, of all healthy influences, reality based, as always with love as it's basis.
Comment by Dona Wheeler — November 17, 2008 @ 6:45 pm
It's not just the responsibility of minority churches to support families, but all faith communities, whether they be Christian, Muslim, Jewish or whatever belief. It is up to all of us as part of those faith communities to educate our kids, families and individuals on our faiths, moral codes, and responsibilities. Churches like Trinity and West End United Methodist that have the neighborhood outreaches to keep the kids off the streets while their parents are working 2 or 3 jobs to keep food on the table and a roof over the family and St. Mark's Methodist in Daleville with it's homework tutoring program are only a start. But when kids get no discipline at home and have no hope of getting out of school with a degree because Mommy & Daddy don't have one, how can we expect the kids to do any better? We ALL have to take action, no matter what God we believe (or don't believe in), but we have to educate the parents and kids and do so together within the communities we live in and not expect the goverment to bail us out at every sign of failure. By coming together as communities, more things get done productively and in a better way than waiting for bottom of the barrel handouts of someone else's leftovers.
Comment by laura — November 18, 2008 @ 11:32 am
As the spouse of a teacher at one of Roanoke City's title one schools, where over 75% of it's students qualify for free or reduced meals, I hear all sorts of horror stories from my wife about her students and thier home lives, or lack thereof. I also hear form her about what kinds of discipline problems she has with these same students, most of whom have little or no structure outside of school. Many of her students admit the only reason they even bother to come to school is for the two hot meals a day they recieve. On weekends, they say they get little or nothing to eat. Unfortunately, if the parents of these children can't/won't provide for them, then it falls to local churches, local community groups as well as social services, to attempt to provide them with thier very basic needs, as well as positive role models to follow. Mission outreach is something all churches should be doing, right in thier local community. As always, there is no easy answer, but knowingly letting children slip through the cracks is no answer at all.
Comment by Purvis Ledbetter — November 18, 2008 @ 5:38 pm
Any parent(s) that send their poor little children to a Roanoke City Public School IF they have ANY other alternative whatsoever should be charged with child abuse, because that's EXACTLY what it is. I feel so very, very sorry for any little child in a Roanoke City Public School.
Comment by Percy Kution — November 18, 2008 @ 9:16 pm
I wished there was a way to teach kids to be responsible parents. It sad that some won't even feed their kids. School should teach them their duty as a parents if they ever become parents, because obviously they are losing their common sense.
Comment by deafgurl — November 23, 2008 @ 9:18 am