“You ate all your food today,” my mom announced as she emptied out my lunch bag, soaking the empty Tupperware containers in the sink. She sounded impressed.
“No, I didn’t,” I shook my head. I sat at the kitchen table behind her colouring in my homework. “I gave my apple and my fruit roll-up to Sylvia.”
“What?” My mom frowned, turning to look at me. “Why did you do that?”
“She didn’t bring a lunch today,” I shrugged.
Something on my mom’s face changed when I said that, but I couldn’t quite figure out why. She kept asking questions, “what do you mean she didn’t have a lunch? Did she forget it at home?”
“I don’t think so.” I tried to think back to what she’d said at lunch. “Her mom told her she needed to give their food to her little sister. I guess because she’s a baby.”
“Where does your friend Sylvia live?”
I didn’t know that. I barely knew where I lived. “She walks to school.”
The next morning my purple Gap lunch bag was heavier than usual. When she dropped me off at school, she urged, “share your food with whoever asks. If anybody else doesn’t have a lunch, give them some of yours.”
Well, that was a ticket to instant popularity. My Hot Rods were always a big hit among my peers. And my pudding cups. I never was a big eater, so I didn’t mind sharing even my sandwiches. But I kept the chocolate to myself.
A few months later, the school introduced The Snack Program. Free snacks before first recess for all students! It was amazing. Getting the snacks, 10 minutes before the bell, became a daily routine in our class. Every week we would have two special helpers from the class assigned to retrieve the snacks from the office. It was a coveted position to have in our second grade class. A lot of the time the snacks were fruit, sometimes they were those disgusting Nutri-Grain bars, but on the best days we’d get cheese and crackers!
After the success of The Snack Program, the school went on to introduce The Lunch Program. In addition to the first recess snack, they were now offering students a free lunch as well. The difference this time was that The Lunch Program wasn’t automatically for every student. You had to sign up to join, but everyone was welcome to sign up.
“You can’t join the lunch program,” my mom explained matter-of-factly as she scanned through the permission form the school had sent home.
“What?! Why!?” I wailed, outraged.
“Because I can make you a lunch at home,” she told me. “Some people’s parents can’t, and they’re the ones that should sign up.”
“But EVERYONE is going to sign up! And if I don’t sign up, I won’t get to ever be the helper to get the food from the office!” Tears were streaming down my irrational seven-year-old face. “Maybe I won’t be able to even eat in the classroom if I don’t sign up! Maybe I’ll have to eat alone!”
In the end, I got my way. My mom reluctantly signed me up for The Lunch Program. I was right that most of my classmates signed up, except for the kids whose parents dropped off McDonald’s for them, or the kids whose grandparents came to pick them up for lunch. I always felt the worst for the kids who went home for lunch because all the best games were played at lunch recess. They always missed out.
The first day of The Lunch Program, I was handed two pieces of white bread, crust in tact, surrounding a single flat slice of a deli meat I could not identify. It wasn’t even cut in half. My eyes widened. Slowly, I lifted the corner of the top piece of bread and saw a smear of bright yellow zigzagged across my sandwich. Mustard. I’d never tried it before.
“Miss, what meat is this?” Asked my classmate Gadisa, with her slight Ethiopian accent. I was glad she asked.
“It’s baloney,” the teacher explained. “Kind of like a ham.”
I liked ham. I liked salami. Prosciutto. Mortadella. That’s what my mom would have made me today. In a dinner roll or a baguette. White bread was reserved specifically for Nutella, or toast with breakfast.
I took one bite of that baloney sandwich and soon discovered it was not for me. I rewrapped the rest of my sandwich and put it back in my backpack. I’d show my grandmother later. She’d be shocked. We’d have a good laugh.
When I glanced up, I saw Sylvia wrapping up half of her sandwich too. I giggled, “you didn’t like it either, eh?”
Sylvia shook her head. “I’m saving the rest for my brother. They don’t have a lunch program at the high school.”
That’s when what my mom was trying to explain to me suddenly made sense. I unenrolled from The Lunch Program soon after that. I was fortunate enough not to need it.
1996
Wonderful story. Thank you for the humanity you displayed…
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Thanks for reading! It was a very important lesson learned.
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Very thought-provoking, Alexis.
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Thank you 🙂
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So sad for so many children.
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Unfortunately, it is. But there are things we can do to help!
Thanks for reading 🙂
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Wow! It was a wonderful story.
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Beautiful Alexis..👌🏻👏🏻👍🏻
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Thanks for reading 🙂
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Always welcome Alexis
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In the US, we have a similar lunch program for low-income kids. I had no idea of it growing up, just because I’d always bring my own lunch to school/have the money to buy lunch at the cafeteria. Little did I know that it was for those less-fortunate who needed the food more than we did, and years after being out of school, I realize just how fortunate I’ve been in that regard. And now that my job is related to the food-welfare system, it’s humbling to help those– parents and children– in need with these services. Thanks for this subtle, yet poignant read. ❤
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That’s amazing that your job is related to the food-welfare system! Good for you. It’s hard as a child to realize growing up how much disparity there can be between classmates.
Thanks for the kind words 🙂
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A reality
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Unfortunately.
Thanks for reading 🙂
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Always welcome Alexis
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Your blog made me think of how hard it was for some kids not having lunch let alone breakfast. School Lunch Programs are what is in every school around the world. I am grateful you wrote this blog about the less fortunate who share with other members of their family with out any thought for themselves. Thank you !
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Thank you for reading it! I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I agree with you 🙂
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Awesome ! Thank you and you are welcome Alexis !
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Wonderful story writing and quite humbling in many ways.
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Thanks so much 🙂
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Lovely story. Thank you.
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Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading! 🙂
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Your writing is intriguing and almost always gives me a respite from life that is oft required. Truly I appreciate your talent. And look forward to reading more and more
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Wow, your kind words mean so much to me, thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my post! I really appreciate it 🙂
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You are a delightfully talented writer with a great gift for storytelling. As I read your words, I am in a delightful dual space. Wondering how this will turn out and same time in the instant you are describing.
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Thank you so much!
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Your Mother is magnificent. Good lessons well taught.
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She absolutely is. She taught me a lot about humanity by just being herself.
Thanks for reading 🙂
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Gear post. I like the way you bring awareness to remind us to reach out to others 👍🏼
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Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you 🙂
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Unfortunately the need is even greater in many ways now. And very difficult for families during the holidays, when no free school meals to keep them going. How can we be in 2020 in the Western world and have starving children?
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I know, it’s crazy to think about. So unfortunate, and unnecessary. Luckily, there’s plenty we can do to help!
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment 🙂
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extremely touching piece of write up… glad to know there are so many good souls out there…. 🙂
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Thank you so much for the kind words! 🙂
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Wow this is sad and beautiful at the same time… beautifully written but sad that it is some people’s reality!
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Thanks for the kind words! 🙂
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Thank you for sharing that story to remind us just how lucky many of us are; moreover, that so many more are not nearly as lucky as we are. Your story resonates especially during this pandemic when so many families are living on the brink through no fault of their own.
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Absolutely! It’s easy to take that luck for granted, but people are struggling, and it’s good to help if we can.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment 🙂
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It is truly more blessed to give than receive – for a child, more fun to be on the giving end, and to be giving away good things. Several messages here, one being that being like “everyone else” could involve settling for less.
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Yes! Absolutely agree, important and sometimes tough lessons to learn as a child.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting 🙂
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What a great story – I always sent my kids to school with extras because there was always a kid who was hungry. People don’t realize how important schools are for distributing food to families. Thank you for the reminder.
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It’s amazing that you do that! Just that little act could turn someone’s whole day around. Thank you 🙂
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Great lesson. Awesome mom.
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She’s the best!
Thanks for reading 🙂
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You have certainly scratched the top off an old sore. It is so sad that some children come to school with empty tummies. School programs should always have food that is as good as the lucky kids gets. A great story.
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Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading 🙂
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That’s a great story ..there were free lunches at my school back in the sixties for kids in need but I think they shouldn’t have been identified
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That’s true, sometimes a little tact is important with these things.
Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment 🙂
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You’re welcome 😀
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Just what I needed this morning. A reminder of how lucky I am and was. We had next to nothing when I was a kid. No phone. No car. My dad always walked to work and us kids to school. But we always had a sack lunch.
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That’s a great point to make, that idea that there’s always someone who could have less. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
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A great post and an excellent reminder that not everyone has the essentials. This is why we always donate to the Food Bank. This year, especially with Covid, our town collected enough food that we shared some with the Food Bank in the next town too.
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That’s amazing for your town! So happy to hear that. Thanks for reading 🙂
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😥
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❤
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What a powerful story, Alexis. I remember kids in high school bussed in from the other side of the city. They had to leave their homes so early the school provided breakfast for them when they got to campus. There was probably a lunch program too, with items I wouldn’t have been satisfied with (even though my Mom made baloney sandwiches). Good for you – getting such a meaningful experience at such a young age.
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Thanks for much for sharing! Glad it resonated with you 🙂
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This is wonderful. Perspective gifting. Thank You! 💕
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Thank you for reading and for the kind words 🙂
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My absolute pleasure! 💕
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Great blog. Thank you for sharing this.
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Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for dropping by 🙂
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how very sad and beautiful
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Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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