C. J. saw the perfect rainbow arching over their soup kitchen. He wondered how his Nana found beautiful where he never even thought to look.
from Last Stop on Market Street
words by Matt de la Peña
pictures by Christian Robinson
G. P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group, 2015
winner: Newbery Medal, 2016
I know some people don’t understand the value of volunteering their time for a cause, for an organization, or for other people. But like Nana told C. J. when they reached their volunteer stop in Last Stop on Market Street, “I feel sorry for those boys.” With her spare words, she showed C. J. the importance of being a helper.
My family was also a family of volunteers. I learned through their examples that money is not the only measure of success.
And, when I discovered Project MKC (Making Kids Count) though the Social Action Committee of my synagogue, I took the opportunity to join with several like minded people every second Monday each month to package diapers, personal care items, and care kits for kids entering foster care. Lots of need being met by lots of helpers.
And even though many people already know about this wonderful organization, I decided to use my blog to shout a little louder about the great work they do. I asked Jana Coffin, co-president with her sister-in-law Shelly Marlowe, if she would be willing to talk to me.
This is the first time I actually conducted an interview with a real person and I thought it was a great idea. But now as I transcribe my notes, you can all let me know how I did.
In 2009, I was thinking seriously about my retirement. Jana was studying for her bar exam and planning her wedding! Jenny Kennedy, Jana’s future mother-in-law, was looking for an interesting and new way to give back her community.
She saw an article about an organization who threw birthday parties for homeless children and decided to bring that idea to Youngstown. She put her own twist to it and ran the idea past her two “girls.”
Jenny’s determination was the fuel that directed Jana’s and Shelly’s organizational skills, expertise, and degrees. Their idea became an outgrowth of their motto: all children deserve to feel special.
In 2010, the fledgling group’s first donation, a $20.00 check from a co-worker of Jana’s fiancé, was delivered to their P.O. Box.
Months later, a client called to tell of their need for a crib. Jana told me, “Project MKC didn’t have one. It was a much bigger item than they could keep on hand at that time.” A couple of days passed and a donor called to ask if the organization could use a new crib. Of course, the answer was yes. “And that’s not the only time something like that happened,” she added.
An individual thank you note was sent in response. The office staff (mostly family members) continues to write and mail a thank you note to each donor.
The world works in mysterious ways, I thought to myself.
A primary focus of Project MKC is their Basic Needs Bank. They’re listed as a member of the National Diaper Bank Network, and now they’re able to provide so much more than diapers.
Project MKC does not distribute their stock including basic needs items to individuals, though. They work through partner agencies who assess their clients and assess their clients’ needs. The system works to keep the organization efficient and honest.
If an individual calls with their own needs, the Project MKC staff directs them to an agency or agencies who can help. Here's a link to the thirty-three partner agencies listed in Mahoning County. You can also find their partners in Trumbull, Columbiana, Ashtabula, Summit, Cuyahoga, Portage, Jefferson, and Lorain Counties!
“Half of all children who need diapers are not getting enough to keep them clean, dry, and healthy,” Jana told me.
That’s not a misprint. And the huge problem ripples through our society.
Here’s how it works: Babies and toddlers don’t have enough diapers to get them through the month. They cannot go to preschool without them. Moms stay home to care for their kids. At best, they lose income and have a harder time providing for their children. Maybe they lose their jobs.
And so it goes.
WIC, the federal government’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, (part of SNAP formerly known as food stamps) provides milk, eggs, infant formula, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. No diapers. no personal care items like shampoo or wipes. No toothbrushes or toothpaste. WIC was set up and continues to meet nutritional needs on a very basic level.
There is no government program to help with personal needs items.
And Project MKC is more than a diaper bank. Click on the “Programs” tab on the Project MKC website to find Hope Kits for kids undergoing chemotherapy.
Click on the Comfort Kits tab and find out that Project MKC supplies children entering the foster care system with a duffel bag full of age and gender appropriate items. All theirs to keep, including a new pair of pajamas, a “security blanket” even the duffel.
Through the generosity of The Italian Scholarship Foundation, Project MKC’s Best Foot Forward brings boots to students in Mahoning County.
Who’s to say which program of the many, many they provide is the most important? Each one, indeed, each person, whether it’s Project MKC and their staff, their partner agencies, the volunteers everywhere, the donors, and the clients themselves, our whole society runs because of the multitude of caring people all around us, quietly doing their best to give a helping hand.
When I asked Jana for a favorite story about Project MKC, she told me about the family who were the recipients of their Holiday Adopt-A-Family. They were so grateful that they came back the next year with a donation of their own. That’s what I call paying it forward.
“What makes Project MKC work?” I asked.
“The world works in mysterious ways.” Jana mused. “I trust in the goodness of humans. I find gratitude for helpers everywhere.”
Real love really does make the world go around. Maybe it’s not so mysterious after all.
I read Anna Quindlen’s memoir, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake (Random House, 2012). Her spot-on vignettes recall the value of female friendships, the importance of family, and the bittersweet joy of aging, all from the “perspective of a woman of a certain age.” Recommended.
Be curious! (and love your neighbors)
FB: It’s winter again here in Northeastern Ohio. Snow is covering the grass and my solar panels, my daffodils and crocuses are waiting patiently, and I saw a robin the other day. Maybe the sun will come out tomorrow. Is that a metaphor?
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