It was a year ago . . .

Sitting by the river, I find myself reflecting on how quickly things can change with community support.  We see it happen every time we gather as a community for street fairs, BBQ's, and community-wide clean-ups.  We are supporting the health of the town through our communal efforts and our willingness to approve tax proposals that support our library and also our ability to update and manage our water issues.  I love these community efforts and they are all about the things that we all notice.  But . . . there is a quieter and generally unseen effort happening behind the doors of more than a few homes all over Caruthersville and across the county.

I met Eleanor Taylor about a year ago when I became aware of our struggling GED program.  They were losing their meeting place and funding was hard to come by.  Not much has changed except they do now have a permanent new location inside the offices of the Pemiscot Initiative Network (PIN).  Eleanor has a passion for education and after gaining her Bachelor of Science degree and her Education Masters, she has devoted her life to education.  Currently working as a substitute teacher, she has also been the director of the local GED program since 2010.

At one time, this program was one of several in the Bootheel.  Now it is the only one, though I have heard of efforts to restart some of the programs that have closed.  The GED program has one great purpose.  It gives people a second chance to make a difference in their lives by earning their high school diploma and, as a consequence, make a difference for the people in their lives.  And in our community, that change is happening.  This past Fall three students completed the three to six-month program.  One student finished and qualified for entering into the Armed Forces.  Another received a promotion that would have otherwise not happened, if not for the completion of the program.  A third qualified for and was hired into a job that was more than minimum wage.  This Spring, at least four more students expect to complete the program.  This is what I call success and affecting great personal change in one's life.

It isn't unusual for GED students to go on to specialized trade schools or college after graduating.  Getting through the program takes from 3 - 6 months and involves a final competency exam to graduate.  But don't let this short period of time fool you.  It isn't easy.  GED students are often unemployed or under-employed.  They frequently have children.  Classes are in the evening.  It takes commitment, determination, and sometimes reliable childcare to go out at the end of a long day for classes.  Anyone who has gone to night school can relate.

The basic need of money is obvious.  Grants for rural GED programs are very hard to come by.  There is an on-going need for school supplies, financial assistance (i.e. for that quarter of a tank of gas that is needed to get to class), and for offering a small stipend to the teacher.  Funding ran out for the program a couple of months ago and, Eleanor, because of her passion for this program, currently does it for the pure love of it and her dedication to the students.

The money covers a variety of needs but there is one intangible need that is often overlooked.  Many of the students arrive in class hungry.  It's an undisputed fact that hunger interferes with learning, so nourishing snack donations are always welcomed.  Think cheese sticks, apples, boxes of raisins, protein bars, bottled water, and baby carrots for starters.

Monetary donations can be made via David Fullhart, Director of the Pemiscot Initiative Network (573) 333-53-1 x231 or via Eleanor Taylor (573) 333-2021.  There is also a GoFundMe page that is set up for direct donations.  The money is deposited directly to the PIN bank account designated for the GED program.  The link for the GoFundMe is https://www.gofundme.com/aytfcb-making-dreams-come-true.

The lives of people are very much like the river I live next to and love so much. Feed their minds and they will be strengthened and flow relentlessly forward in life.  We, as a community, pull together well on the big and obvious needs.  Let's act now to care for the GED program and help the individual and less obvious needs of our community.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

W.B. Yeats