Year-End Letter from Rose Hanley
Be kind and have courage. These words were found on the inside cover of the diary of Anne Frank. I can’t begin to fathom the world this young girl faced, but I can follow her very wise, beyond-her-years advice. She knew – long before many of us learn – that this is the only response we can have to what life puts in front of us. Some of us draw strength from our faith during difficult times, some from those around us, and still others from a purpose that propels us forward, always forward. For me, it’s a combination of all three that I lean on, as well as an unconditional love for a population of students that I am grateful to have in my life.
June 30 marked the end of a fiscal year we’ll never forget. One we could not imagine, plan for, wish to repeat. We have missed and worried terribly about our students and families, who’ve been disproportionately affected by the COVID crisis. Felt the emptiness of a building without the buzz of volunteers and visitors. Wondered about the impact of it all and asked why. But with obstacles comes inspiration. They motivate you to dig deeper, think differently, to have courage.
I am enormously proud of the way our Little Bit community has responded to recent events. Because of the tremendous partnerships we have in place, the know-how and can-do attitude of our staff, and the incredible loyalty of people who time and again selflessly ask, “What can I do?”(too many to name here!), we were able to pivot rather than pause when the pandemic hit and reach students and families dealing with a confluence of challenges.
By the end of June, we had been able to:
- Directly deliver more than 100,000 meals to families’ doorsteps through our Feeding Hope program
- Provide 8,000 care kits, 2,000 make-at-home STEM projects and 25,800 books to support at-home learning
- Upload dozens of Storytime videos for students to engage with online
- Continue drive-up fresh food markets in partnership with St. Louis Area Foodbank
- Set up food and education-focused distributions in North County, alongside the NAACP-St. Louis County Chapter
- Distribute 467,000 essential items and dedicate 13,000 volunteer hours throughout the year
While standing up to an invisible virus, we’ve also reaffirmed our stand against a very visible racial intolerance and inequality that remains in our society. Diversity, in all its forms (racial, socio-economic status, cultural, disability, gender), matters to us. With the help and guidance of our D&I Committee, we continue to listen and learn, practice empathy and re-evaluate critical questions. Why do we serve? Are we mindful to look at our words and actions through the lens of others? Do we stand behind our promise to treat others with respect and dignity? How do we ensure everyone who walks through our doors feels wanted, welcome, a part of?
The answer to why we serve has and always will be because we believe every child deserves an equal opportunity to realize his or her dreams. For us, that begins with educational equity. A step past equality – or treating every student the same – equity, in part, is about making sure every student has the support he or she needs to be successful. It requires understanding the unique barriers faced by each student – which means knowing them as individuals – and providing supports to help them overcome these barriers, as well as exposing them to experiences that may not be within their reach. This is our purpose that propels us forward, always forward.
None of this would be possible without you. You mean so much to The Little Bit Foundation, in so many ways, and more than you may know. You’re a gift to us, a blessing to a child and an inspiration to a community. Thank you. God bless you.