LAMAR, SC (WBTW) – Students at Lamar Elementary School are getting a chance for extra help from teachers and community volunteers through Read and Feed, an after-school program that offers school work assistance and a snack.
Gay Jeffords, a reading interventionist at Lamar Elementary, and Sue Cataen-Ingram, Darlington County School District’s lead social worker, launched the program Feb. 1. Students attend to read books, complete homework assignments and enjoy some food. Other volunteers from Lamar Elementary and from outside of the school have made the program an early success.
“Our vision is for them to come two times a week, where we will read to them and they can get help with homework,” Jeffords said. “There will be a snack for the kids. They can also get the chance to take a book home with them.”
Jeffords has been working at Lamar Elementary for forty years, and she says in that time, she’s seen children who were hungry, without clothes, and with no place to lay their heads at night.
“If we don’t help them, who is,” asked Jeffords.
According to the South Carolina School Report Cards, nearly ninety percent of children at Lamar Elementary live in poverty, and that’s why teachers created the Read and Feed program.
“We feel like if they feel like they’re wanted and people want to help them, then they’ll do better,” said Jeffords.
Read and Feed is funded through a grant from Pee Dee Electric Cooperative, which is administered by Carolinas Kids.
Andrea Pulling is the director of Carolinas Kids, and she says the mission of the organization is to help children in poverty in the Darlington school district to succeed.
“If you don’t meet a child’s basic necessities, they’re not going to be able to learn. So, I think that Read and Feed is a perfect program that really drives that point home,” said Pulling
Each program lasts about an hour. The students in attendance are treated to a snack before breaking out the pencils and paper to complete any homework assignments due the following day. Cataen-Ingram, Jeffords and the volunteers spread out across the room to help students in whatever ways they can.
When homework is complete, each student chooses and reads a short book to one of the volunteers. Students earn the chance to take the book home to their families by completing the reading assignments.
Read and Feed can always use volunteers, Jeffords said. Should anyone be interested in helping out, she asked that they call the main office at 843-326-7575.Some information within this article is from a press release.
