(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one of a periodic series of blog posts designed to shine light on the problem of illiteracy in our schools. We hope you will be moved enough to want to be part of the solution, either through donating your time and skills or through financial support to Coaching for Literacy or any of the groups listed at the bottom.)
In a perfect world, overlaying a map of Memphis grocery stores on a map of population centers would reveal similar trends. Where there are larger groups of people, so too would there be larger selections of supermarkets.
Ahhh, but we know the world isn’t perfect and we know this example does not hold true. Instead, grocery stores tend to go to areas where they have a better chance to make money. That’s what business is all about. So heavily populated but poorer areas don’t have access to neighborhood groceries and the fresh produce and other healthy choices that are available to those in more financially stable areas.
It creates just another obstacle for financially disadvantaged people to deal with on a daily basis. There’s even a name for it: Food Desert.
And even when positive change happens, it doesn’t always stay. A Save A Lot, the sparkling new centerpiece of a development brought in by the Binghampton Development Corp, opened in the food-barren neighborhood of Binghampton.
Two years later, the store is closed. While the reasoning goes back to Save A Lot’s decision to restructure and close stores in 11 states, and the BDC is said to be in negotiation to bring in a replacement grocer, that won’t help those struggling in that Food Desert today.
Let’s veer off at this point to a similar problem: the Educational Desolation found in so many poor areas of cities. As we know at Coaching for Literacy, a child’s ability to read by the end of the third grade is a harbinger of his or her future. Being able to read at grade level by the end of third grade means good things can happen. A student who has fallen behind by that point will only continue to fall until school, which should be the bridge to life success, is considered nothing more than a nuisance, a waste of time.
The formula is simple, even if the solution is not: The better a child can read, regardless of his or her outside influences, the better the chance for future success.
An Oasis of Opportunity awaits but it only becomes a mirage for those who can’t read at grade level. This is where we come in and where we hope you’ll come in. Coaching for Literacy is just one of multitudes of organizations dedicated to helping fix the problems where people face Food Deserts and Educational Desolation.
You can make a difference. If you have time and skills or just want to give back and be part of the solution, we need you. If you don’t have the time or just want to help financially, we need you to get involved that way too. But it doesn’t have to be Coaching for Literacy. Each blog ends with a list of organizations that would appreciate your help, either through volunteerism or donations.
Come join us and make this world better by being part of the solution.
Donate Today:
Coaching for Literacy uses the power of sport to raise awareness about the issues stemming from illiteracy and donates funds in support of literacy for students in grades K-3.
Volunteer to be a Tutor or Mentor (Memphis):
Literacy Mid-South: it takes the work of our community to achieve our mission to provide literacy resources to learners of all backgrounds and ages.
STREETS Ministries: become a STREETS Smart volunteer and share the love of books once a week with an eager second grader.
ARISE2Read: takes an active role in the development of children in our public schools through the presence of volunteers focused on literacy.
JIFF (Juvenile Intervention & Faith-Based Follow-Up): breaking the destructive cycle of juvenile crime through Christ-centered interventions.
Advance Memphis: empower adults in South Memphis to break cycles of unemployment, establish economic stability, reconcile relationships, and restore dignity through knowledge, resources, and skills by the power of Jesus Christ.
Contact Shelby County Schools or an elementary school in your neighborhood.
Not in Memphis? Find a worthy organization to volunteer your time and talents by searching VolunteerMatch or All for Good.
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Gary Robinson is a friend of Coaching for Literacy who has provided tremendous assistance to our cause by helping Coaching for Literacy compile our thoughts into coherent posts. Gary retired from The Commercial Appeal after time as executive sports editor and digital managing editor and currently serves as chairman of the Memphis chapter of SCORE, a nonprofit partner of the Small Business Administration that provides free mentoring and education to small-business owners and emerging entrepreneurs. Want to get in contact with Gary? Click here.
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