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LOCAL | THE KANSAS CITY STAR.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2012
HUNGER: ‘I’m struggling,’ says Kelli, but her kids don’t complain FROM A4
ble just in case the electric utility shuts off their power again. Or in case she needs to mask the smell from the raw sewage from bad plumbing in the basement that her landlord hasn’t come to clean up for three weeks. “I’m struggling,” says Kelli, who often gets crucial help and support from Sister Berta Sailer of Operation Breakthrough. The family’s last name isn’t being used to protect the privacy of the children and to prevent them from being teased at school. “No parent wants to even think they can’t provide enough for their kids. … I’m trying the best I can.” She makes $11.50 an hour at a full-time seasonal job. When she got the work, after being unemployed for a while and making do on unemployment and food stamps, she lost her food benefits. She says she now makes 22 cents an hour too much to get federal assistance for day care. But her kids don’t complain. On this night, they sit in the small living room with her and talk about school. Antonio, who has autism, just brought home a report card with high praise from his art teacher. A creative mind, the teacher said. Alexis, who sits on the family’s worn couch with one leg tucked underneath her, has paperwork about her school’s free lunch program that her mom needs to sign. She wants to grow up to be a Top Chef. “So I’ll never be hungry,” she said.
FEEDING HUNGRY CHILDREN Every weekend, Harvesters provides backpacks full of food to 17,000 schoolchildren in the 26-county area who otherwise wouldn’t have enough to eat. Over the next two weeks, The Star will publish stories that show how hunger affects children and what people are doing about it.
And neither will other people. Her plan is to have a restaurant where she won’t turn away hungry people who can’t pay. “I’ll give them free food,” she says, “but they’ll have to pay me back next time.” Does Alexis worry now when there’s not enough food in their apartment, when a meal is ramen noodles or something from her BackSnack? She shrugs and gestures to her mom. “She’s the best person in the world,” Alexis says. “So I don’t worry about food.” Kelli takes a deep breath and smiles. “Oh, Lexie, thanks so much for saying that,” she says. “I just
For the third year, The Star is partnering with Harvesters to host a virtual food drive. All money raised will go to Harvesters’ BackSnack program for kids. Go online to feedingkckids. harvesters.org to make a donation. If you’d like, you can designate your donation in the honor or memory of a family member or friend. The Star will publish the dedications on Christmas Day. Dedications need to be in by 5 p.m. Dec. 23 to appear in the Christmas paper.
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HOW YOU CAN HELP A self-portrait of Alexis, 11, who lives in what researchers call a food-insecure home. She wants to grow up to be a Top Chef. “So I’ll never be hungry,” she said.
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