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MEET EMMA
Emma was a shy elementary school student and had been through so much at a young age. After the loss of their mom, her and her siblings were taken in by their grandma who loves and cares for them.
Recognizing that Emma needed help at school, her teacher recommended that she join LunchBox Learners – a program that connects young students with a caring adult mentor during the school lunch hour to work on reading and spend time getting to know each other.
Impact into Action
Lynn learned about LunchBox Learners when her own children were in elementary school. While looking for a way to give back in her retirement and knew she wanted to continue making an impact in kids’ lives. She rediscovered the program and shortly after became a Big.
“Emma was so shy when we first met. The program was new to her and she didn’t know what to expect, so it took a little time to help her get to know me and feel comfortable reading together, playing games and chatting about things like school, her siblings and grandma.”
Building Confidence and Character
When she first joined the program, her reading level was very low for her age and needed the extra attention and help Lynn was able to give her. Now, Emma’s is caught up with her classmates and has found a love of reading.
“Her eyes light up now when she reads and I can really tell that she feels good about herself and the skills she’s learned. And she really seems to enjoy it, too!”
Growing Toward the Goal
Emma has not only grown her confidence in reading. While eating lunch with Lynn, she noticed that she always had fruits and veggies in her meals. Emma hardly often ate healthy foods for fear of not liking them, and because of the positive role model she set herself a goal to start eating healthier foods to take better care of her mind and body. She’s also learned relationship-building skills and has set out to make new friends in 4th grade.
Love of Learning
Emma is just one young kid who’s been supported by a caring adult mentor, gaining the necessary reading skills to set her up for success for years to come.
“Reading is an integral part of life and if you struggle with it, it makes learning other things so difficult. If there’s anything I can do to help the children with their reading to move them along, you know their world is going to be so much easier once their able to do it. We don’t school to be difficult, it needs to be a fun, safe space where kids feel confident learning and growing.”
