Summer is a more challenging season than winter for so many people we serve at Open Door Mission.
A Tale of Two Summers began on this blog two weeks ago. Here’s today’s installment featuring the story of JJ from last summer:
Last summer, JJ was one of the hundreds of schoolchildren in the Heartland who began to lose her fourth grade math skills over the summer. Like many low income and homeless children, she also lost two months of reading skills that she may never get back. The “summer slide” for students often puts lower income kids nearly three years behind the reading level of their higher income peers by the end of fifth grade.
This summer, JJ is part of Open Door Mission’s Kids to Camp program, which includes tutoring sessions so the students we serve stay on track – instead of falling behind – during summer break. Kids to Camp is a strategic part of summer programs for children and students reached by Open Door Mission, bringing homeless children three nutritious meals daily, supervised outdoor activities, field trips, water sports, math and reading skills reinforcement, and Bible classes.
One summer a homeless child can struggle to remember reading skills; the next summer she can receive reinforcement to be a confident, competent student. It’s a tale of two summers, and the needs are still great – but you make a difference through your gifts of time, resources, and prayer on behalf of Open Door Mission.
Candace Gregory
President/CEO