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If you think that drama in school only surfaces in high school, think again. Though the everyday problems very, many elementary students deal with problems on a day to day basis. One of the larger standout is the fact that these middles scholar’s grades are suffering from their parent’s low-income. It is not exactly that the kids are starving, but the combined factors that poverty brings. The stress of little to eat, the possibility of no home to go to and pressures of school shoud not be problems that young kids experience first hand, but the crippling economy is bringing reality to children at younger ages each year. The government does it’s best to provide services to these less unfortunate citizens, like Food Stamps. Since they were introduced, every family has greatly benefited from them, regardless the monthly tendered amount, but with unemployment so high, Food Stamps are almost a common commodity among most families. One of these children suffering is a nine-year-old named Charity Crowell, who along with her brother, is enrolled in Asheville Elemantary School, but her parents aren’t going to be able to pay their $475 rent and have no other options. This means that Charity will have to possibly go to another school, take a hit to her grades and re-socialize herself. These aren’t as big of problems for us as adults, but the children go through the pain and pressure all the same, sometimes even more because it is totally out of their control. All hope isn’t lost though, thanks to the schools and charity foundations like Eblen-Kimmel Charities. Asheville Elemantary School has started a program that appoints a liaison who identifies the homeless families that meet the qualifications and give their the much needed aid, as part of a Federal Law passed back in 2001, while some schools even acquired grants to hire someone in the position full-time. The Eblen-Kimmel Charities foundation has been providing the homeless with shelter, funding to pay for utility bills and one women even received a prom dress. If there aren’t more efforts made to help low-income/homeless parents then their children will continue to suffer.

“It’s hard enough going to school and growing up, but these kids also have to worry where they’ll be staying that night and whether they’ll eat,” said Bill Murdock, chief executive of Eblen-Kimmel Charities, a private group in Asheville that helps needy families with anything from food baskets and money for utility bills to toiletries and a prom dress.“We see 8-year-olds telling Mom not to worry, don’t cry.”

Via NYTimes