Ask any young child what it’s like not to be able to sleep in their own bed and you’ll see a frown form on their little face. It’s scary, unsettling, and just plain hard to fall asleep. And it’s also unimaginable to everyone except the kids who are living through it.
Recently, children from Far Brook School wondered what they could do to help make nighttime easier for other children who were sleeping in the FPE shelter. Facilitated by fifth-grade teacher Ellen Maddrey, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-graders came up with several useful ideas and quickly went to work. After all, kids are experts when it comes to knowing what other kids like at bedtime.
Far Brook staff member Jennifer Barba and a few students visited the families at Prospect Presbyterian Church and gave them their handiwork. The nighttime kits were especially meaningful for two families who had just come into the shelter that day. Apprehensive of their new living situation, the nighttime kits reinforced the knowledge that they were cared for by others in the community.
As it often goes, the participants end up being equally blessed by their interactions. After spending the day making kits and decorating placemats for the families, one boy told his mother that this had been “the best day of [his] life.”
