Episode 5
Supporting Cobb Families in Need This Holiday Season
This podcast episode explores the pressing challenges faced by families in Cobb County during the holiday season, emphasizing the need for comprehensive support to ensure no child or family is left without assistance. As we explore the intricacies of food insecurity, unstable housing, and the lack of essential resources, we engage with Kim Evans, a dedicated school social worker, who explains the critical role of school social workers in bridging the gap between families and available community resources. Throughout our discussion, we highlight the collaborative efforts necessary to address these needs, particularly as they intensify during periods when schools are closed. The episode serves as a call for community engagement, encouraging listeners to consider how they can contribute to alleviating these hardships, whether through donations or active involvement. Ultimately, we affirm that the need for support transcends the holiday season, requiring sustained commitment and compassion from all members of the community.
Guest:
- Kim Evans
Helpful Links:
Donations: Cobb Schools Foundation https://www.cobbschoolsfoundation.org/
Connect with your school social worker and other resources: https://www.cobbk12.org/page/22658/school-social-work
Families In Need https://www.cobbk12.org/page/46026/families-in-need
Find Help Georgia https://findhelpga.org/
Unite US Unite US- Georgia
Chapters:
- 00:29 - Challenges Faced by Families During the Holidays
- 01:50 - Supporting Families During the Holidays
- 05:24 - The Importance of Community Support
- 10:44 - Understanding Food Insecurity and Community Needs
- 18:21 - Connecting Families in Need
Podcast Home:
https://the-inside-scoop.captivate.fm/
Cobb Schools on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/@TheRealCobbSchools
Give us a review:
https://www.podchaser.com/TheInsideScoop
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https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VYTRCLG
Cobb Sports Podcast:
https://cobb-sports.captivate.fm/episodes
The Cobb County School District:
https://www.cobbk12.org
Takeaways:
- This podcast episode emphasizes the importance of providing support to families facing food insecurity during the holiday season.
- School social workers play a crucial role in identifying and addressing the needs of families in distress within the Cobb County community.
- Community involvement, including donations and volunteer work, is essential in alleviating the challenges faced by families during the holidays and throughout the year.
- The need for assistance does not cease after the holiday season, as many families continue to experience hardships year-round.
- Families are encouraged to reach out to school social workers for resources and support when facing difficulties related to basic needs.
- The podcast highlights the significance of dignity and respect in addressing the needs of families who may find themselves in unexpected financial situations.
Transcript
Today, we're taking you inside the programs, making sure no child and no family is left without support this holiday season.
Speaker A:Welcome back to the Inside Scoop, the podcast that brings you the stories behind the people and programs shaping our Cobb schools community.
Speaker A:I'm your host, David Owen.
Speaker A:Before we dive in, make sure to, like, subscribe and share so that others can hear about the incredible work happening across our district.
Speaker A:As the holiday season approaches, many of our families face real challenges, from food insecurity to finding the right resources when school is out.
Speaker A:Joining me to talk about how Cobb schools is stepping up to help is Kim Evans.
Speaker A:Kim, welcome to the podcast.
Speaker B:Well, thank you, Dave.
Speaker B:It's a pleasure to be here.
Speaker A:And you are a school social worker with what schools?
Speaker B:That is correct.
Speaker B:I am a school social worker and I serve Clarkdale Elementary, Cooper Middle, and Hendricks elementary, all schools located in the southern part of Cobb County.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Well, the.
Speaker A:And you are one of like, is it 36?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:School social workers.
Speaker B:Yes, there are 36 school social workers here in Cobb County.
Speaker B:We also have four social workers, support staff who are our truancy coordinators.
Speaker B:We also have a mentoring coordinator as well as we have interns.
Speaker B:So we are really covered.
Speaker A:Well, you are certainly given a challenge to help folks this time of year.
Speaker A:For sure.
Speaker A:I'm not sure that the need is only this time of year, but it seems like our attention turns to the needs that families experience this time of year.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:But let's start with the big picture.
Speaker A:The school's out for holidays and Thanksgiving and Christmas break and so forth.
Speaker A:So what kind of challenges do families tend to experience during that time?
Speaker B:Normally during the holiday times, Thanksgiving and Christmas, a lot of the families experience food insecurities.
Speaker B:Some families, even with housing, they lack stable housing during this time.
Speaker B:Clothes, coats, so many we have families who don't have electricity.
Speaker B:And so it's not just during the holiday times, but it's more because we're out of school.
Speaker B:Those kids don't get access to a warm building or they may not have access to food because we are out during those times.
Speaker A:And there are also higher expectations that time of year, right?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker A:Whether it's Christmas or some other observance, giving gifts is a staple of celebrating.
Speaker A:And Thanksgiving, of course, having a meal with your family is kind of the core thought of that.
Speaker A:How is your social work team experiencing, becoming aware of those needs?
Speaker A:And how do you bridge the gap between their needs, which I'm sure not everybody wants to talk about readily, and what resources you have access to to help with that.
Speaker A:Does that.
Speaker A:Does that make sense?
Speaker B:It does.
Speaker B:It does.
Speaker B:We have each school, as I first stated, there are 36 of us.
Speaker B:Each school is.
Speaker B:Has a school social worker.
Speaker B:And so within each school, the goal is to establish a school culture where families feel welcomed and appreciated.
Speaker B:And that is the goal of us as school social workers.
Speaker B:And so with that, we build relationships with our families.
Speaker B:And sometimes they feel welcomed enough to say, hey, I'm really struggling this year.
Speaker B:We don't have access to food.
Speaker B:We don't have access to a coat.
Speaker B:And so we are able to connect that family to a community resource.
Speaker B:And, you know, there are times where families often say, I don't want anyone to know that I'm really having difficulty providing food or providing shelter.
Speaker B:And so with that, we also, as school social workers, have access on our school social work page through Cobb County School District that lists, I am in need of resources.
Speaker B:And families can immediately click there and see a wealth of resources that may be able to help them at that time.
Speaker A:Okay, so they don't necessarily need to reach out to their school social worker.
Speaker A:You've already got a list of resources available on the website.
Speaker A:But if they still have need, they can reach out to.
Speaker B:They can certainly reach out to their child's school social worker.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:Certainly for those of you at home, those links will be in the show notes and the description, so don't sweat.
Speaker A:When are they going to say the website?
Speaker A:You'll be fine, Trust me.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So when it comes to organizations that might be listening, or maybe the listener is a member of a company or maybe a church or synagogue or some other civic organization that wants to help, they just don't know where to start.
Speaker A:What are some of the partnerships and programs that they can get involved in to be a part of the solution for these needs?
Speaker B:They can certainly reach out to their child's school and reach out to school social workers, school counselors.
Speaker A:Just reach out directly.
Speaker B:They can reach out directly, but more importantly, here in Cobb county, we have the Cobb Schools Foundation.
Speaker B:And so with that foundation, they can express an interest of if they want to donate financially or if they want to volunteer.
Speaker B:That would be a go to as well, where they can reach out to them and see how they can get connected and even partner.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Now, you mentioned volunteering, and I would imagine that might actually be a tougher hurdle, because for someone to work within the school, there has to be a background check.
Speaker A:Safety is the primary thing.
Speaker B:Safety is important.
Speaker A:So would you say that donations or even just money donations would be A great route for somebody to participate through the Cobb Schools Foundation.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Financially, if they want to donate, that would be the go to Cobb Schools foundation because as you mentioned, safety is important.
Speaker B:So even though we hear often families, not families, but we often hear organizations want to come into the school, there are certain procedures in place that have to be addressed first.
Speaker B:And so we hear your heart, we want you to show up.
Speaker B:But I would start with the Cobb Schools foundation with getting connected and providing support.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And some of these outside organizations also have kind of been pre approved, I guess, for helping.
Speaker A:For example, I know that there are pantries in a lot of the schools.
Speaker A:So why don't you tell us a little bit about that side of things and maybe some insights on how the viewer can help that process move along.
Speaker B:Currently there is a large need of non perishable items for many families.
Speaker B:As you mentioned earlier, there's food insecurities.
Speaker B:And so with food insecurities in place, individuals can donate non perishable items to their local food pantry.
Speaker B:Because many families are visiting food pantries and they had never done that before.
Speaker B:And so they're visiting these places, attempting to access food.
Speaker B:It's simple.
Speaker B:While shopping, you may want to pick up a few extra canned goods.
Speaker A:It doesn't take much.
Speaker B:It doesn't take much while you're on aisle to pick up a few extra cans of green beans or corn and reach out to your nearest food pantry that's in your area and drop those off.
Speaker B:It's just as simple.
Speaker B:We have a heart to serve and it doesn't require individuals to have write a big check, even though we would like that.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:You're not going to turn the window.
Speaker B:We would not turn away a large check.
Speaker B:But it's just the small things that really make a difference.
Speaker A:Well, I would think even a gift card donation.
Speaker B:Oh yes, certainly a gift card for a Kroger, a Publix, Walmart, something simple.
Speaker B:$5, $10.
Speaker A:Gift cards are not perishable, but they can buy perishable things.
Speaker A:So that's, that's kind of what it is.
Speaker B:They can buy.
Speaker B:And so, you know, they've one of the things too.
Speaker B:We're in this season of giving.
Speaker B:Thanksgiving, Christmas, we're in this season, but needs are just not limited to the holidays.
Speaker B:Yeah, they are throughout the year.
Speaker B:And so a call to those that certainly want to give.
Speaker B:Think about needs happening in January, March.
Speaker B:The needs are there.
Speaker A:Oh yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:They just don't, they just don't stop.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:So yeah, January is like, that's when all the bills come due.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And so sometimes people miscalculate a thing or two.
Speaker A:But the reality is, if you miscalculate at all, sometimes it can derail a thin budget to begin with.
Speaker A:It creates a shortage.
Speaker A:And yes, they should have caught it, but the reality is they didn't.
Speaker A:They missed it.
Speaker A:And as a result, there are some very legitimate needs out there.
Speaker A:The children didn't ask for any of that.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker A:So food insecurity is one of the big challenges.
Speaker A:And this morning, you're standing here with your coat on.
Speaker A:We happen to be recording this at a time when we've had the first really cold morning.
Speaker A:I think it was 31 or 29, somewhere in there.
Speaker A:Coats, not just food, but coats are a big need.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:Coats are certainly a big need we do have.
Speaker B:And when I speak of we.
Speaker B:The school social work department is partnering with Cobb emc, which hosts Operation Warmth.
Speaker B:However, there are so, so many more kids that can benefit from just a coat, a jacket.
Speaker B:You have students coming to the bus stop with no jacket on.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And so this morning was that morning where kids are showing up with no jacket.
Speaker B:And it's not the parents saying, oh, I forgot to put a jacket on.
Speaker B:No, they don't have access to one.
Speaker B:As I stated, gift cards are definitely great because then we could offer that gift card to the family who may need a coat.
Speaker B:And we've had instances where organizations will partner with the school within their areas to have a coat drive or a sock drive to donate those items.
Speaker B:And so that's just not one time of year those items can be used.
Speaker B:Socks, all year, coats.
Speaker A:So dignity in all of this is a concern.
Speaker A:Somebody who is not chronically.
Speaker A:And for what it's worth, most of these people we're talking about are not just chronically in dire need, always leaning on the generosity of someone else.
Speaker A:These are people who get caught in a situation.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:For a lot of the cases, we have people who, for whatever reason, lost their job, or maybe the industry just goes into kind of a declining time during the winter months.
Speaker A:Makes it hard.
Speaker A:So is that accurate?
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:There's often a stigma associated during this time of the year, Thanksgiving and Christmas, that it is for people who are living in poverty.
Speaker B:But as a school social worker, having served families and children over the years, it can be the loss of a spouse that will cause a family to experience financial hardship.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:They've never been in this space before.
Speaker B:It could be where a family member becomes ill and they can no longer work.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Hourly paid.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:It could be a mother who has been recently diagnosed with cancer and is unable to work to care for their family.
Speaker B:It's that simple.
Speaker B:So it's not just families who are living in poverty.
Speaker B:For many of us to be transparent, many of us may have a life experience that sets us back to where we're unable to provide for our families.
Speaker B:And so it's not an individual type issue.
Speaker B:It's a community.
Speaker B:Not only a community issue, but a community solution.
Speaker A:Yeah, a lot of people do end up in an impoverished situation because of bad decisions, but a lot of people just end up there despite making all the right choices.
Speaker B:You can make all the right choices.
Speaker B:And I often say, when life is lifing, laughing at you, at you, it is, how are you going to deal?
Speaker B:So as school social workers and here in Cobb county, as I stated, there are 36 of us that are in schools.
Speaker B:We're here to walk alongside of those families in their greatest point of need.
Speaker B:Do we have all the solutions?
Speaker B:No, but we're there to be of.
Speaker A:Support, to either be a resource or find a resource.
Speaker B:Exactly.
Speaker B:Be a resource or find a resource.
Speaker B:Connect that family to that resource.
Speaker B:We're here.
Speaker A:So the family watching, listening, what's the first step that they should take?
Speaker A:Is it just reach out to the school social worker?
Speaker A:I think you kind of mentioned that earlier.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:They can certainly reach out to their child's school request to have conversation with the school social worker.
Speaker B:They may also reach out to their child's school counselor just to express.
Speaker B:We all work collaboratively and in confidence.
Speaker B:And confidence, yes.
Speaker B:You mentioned dignity.
Speaker B:Certainly we want to maintain that.
Speaker B:And a family member may just go on our website, Cobb county school district website, and find their child school social worker.
Speaker B:And the information is there.
Speaker A:Well, you know, you mentioned something a minute ago that I thought was intriguing and that is that, yes, we pay attention to it more during this season of Thanksgiving.
Speaker A:And gratitude, by the way, that is the key to happiness, I'm convinced, has been grateful for what we have and have been given and have earned.
Speaker A:But it doesn't just end after the holidays are over.
Speaker A:The need continues, right?
Speaker B:The need continues.
Speaker B:The need continues.
Speaker A:Kim, thank you so much for everything you do, everything your team does, and not just during the holidays, but all year long.
Speaker A:You have been a true provider for people who need the help.
Speaker A:And kids cannot learn unless their needs are met, basically.
Speaker B:That's for sure.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:They have an emotional barrier that literally keeps them from learning.
Speaker A:So if you can help them learn through providing these needs, you're helping education in God.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And I would just also like to say thank you for this opportunity, but I want people to know that any during this season and throughout the year that the goal is not just to give something tangible, but you are instilling hope in those that may have lost hope because of the things that they have experienced in their family.
Speaker B:So just know that you are a hope giver throughout the year.
Speaker A:That is a great way to put it.
Speaker A:That's very accurate.
Speaker A:Once you know somebody cares, it makes a big difference in your demeanor and getting back on your feet.
Speaker A:Absolutely.
Speaker A:Well, if you're a parent or a community member looking for help or wanting to lend a hand, visit the Cobb School's Student support pages@cobbk12.org we're going to have all this in the show notes and description, so don't sweat about it.
Speaker A:But feel free to use that resource to reach out directly to your school's your child's school counselor or social worker.
Speaker A:They work together very closely.
Speaker A:And in this season of gratitude, I'm thankful that we have people like Kim helping to connect families in need with generous members of our community.
Speaker A:And don't forget to like, subscribe and share this episode of the Inside Scoop so others can learn how to make a difference this holiday season.
Speaker A:Thank you for listening to this edition of the Inside Scoop, a podcast produced by the Cobb County School District.
Speaker A:It.
