Back-to-school time may be just around the corner, but here at Nellie’s we aren’t ready to give up on summer quite yet! With 14 children currently living at Nellie’s and participating in our Children’s Program (eight of whom are school-aged), our team is keeping fun at the forefront with special outings across the city, including to the CN Tower and Toronto Island.
This isn’t just about getting out and seeing the city — it’s also important for the kids at Nellie’s to feel like their summer vacation isn’t so different from their peers. “When the kids go back to school and they talk to their friends, they’ll have stories to tell, too,” explains Akhila Sureshbabu, one of our Child & Youth Program Coordinators. “They won’t feel like ‘oh, I didn’t go anywhere because I’m in a shelter.’”
When it comes to the practical side of back-to-school prep, Akhila and her Children’s Program counterpart Adheena Jose reached out to the moms staying at the shelter to find out what items they were in need of for September, such as backpacks, shoes, or lunch bags. After gathering this list of needs, Akhila and Adheena met with our fundraising team and were successfully able to secure donations to support our families with these requests.
As for filling up those lunch bags, our Children’s Program team recently launched a new “Prep and Pack” program to help moms make lunches that their kids will actually eat. Akhila explains that many of the moms at Nellie’s were frequently complaining that their kids wouldn’t eat the sandwiches they’d been making, but they didn’t know what else to try. Now, thanks to some coordination work by Akhila and Adheena, the house coordinator at Nellie’s orders a variety of quick-prep foods (ie. nuggets, hot dogs, and pizza) and healthy options (ie. yogurt, fresh fruit, and wraps). The moms can then sign up for time slots to use the kitchen to prep their children’s lunch with these items. Under staff supervision, moms can also prepare simple cooked meals like spaghetti.
The “Prep and Pack” program started near the end of the last school year, and the families at Nellie’s are excited to see it start back up at full steam in September. (A scaled down version of the program ran for families with kids who were attending day camp during the summertime.) Just like with the special summer field trips, our Prep and Pack program isn’t just about making lunch prep easier for moms, but it’s also about increasing feelings of inclusivity for the kids. “One of the kids told me that their friends always have nuggets, but they don’t get to eat what they like,” explains Akhila. “Then when we started the program, they said to me, ‘Now I can eat with my friends and not feel bad!’”
Ultimately, smoothing the back-to-school transition for kids means supporting their moms, too. September can be an overwhelming and stressful time for mothers navigating life in a shelter, but having access to school supplies, simple lunch solutions, and dedicated staff support helps lighten the load so families can focus on the path ahead feeling confident and empowered.