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

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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...

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Today, we're taking you insidethe programs, making sure no child
and no family is left withoutsupport this holiday season.
Welcome back to the InsideScoop, the podcast that brings you
the stories behind the peopleand programs shaping our Cobb schools
community.
I'm your host, David Owen.

(00:21):
Before we dive in, make sureto, like, subscribe and share so
that others can hear about theincredible work happening across
our district.
As the holiday seasonapproaches, many of our families
face real challenges, fromfood insecurity to finding the right
resources when school is out.
Joining me to talk about howCobb schools is stepping up to help

(00:43):
is Kim Evans.
Kim, welcome to the podcast.
Well, thank you, Dave.
It's a pleasure to be here.
And you are a school socialworker with what schools?
That is correct.
I am a school social workerand I serve Clarkdale Elementary,
Cooper Middle, and Hendrickselementary, all schools located in

(01:05):
the southern part of Cobb County.
Okay.
All right.
Well, the.
And you are one of like, is it 36?
Yes.
School social workers.
Yes, there are 36 schoolsocial workers here in Cobb County.
We also have four socialworkers, support staff who are our
truancy coordinators.
We also have a mentoringcoordinator as well as we have interns.

(01:29):
So we are really covered.
Well, you are certainly givena challenge to help folks this time
of year.
For sure.
I'm not sure that the need isonly this time of year, but it seems
like our attention turns tothe needs that families experience

(01:49):
this time of year.
So.
But let's start with the big picture.
The school's out for holidaysand Thanksgiving and Christmas break
and so forth.
So what kind of challenges dofamilies tend to experience during
that time?
Normally during the holidaytimes, Thanksgiving and Christmas,

(02:13):
a lot of the familiesexperience food insecurities.
Some families, even withhousing, they lack stable housing
during this time.
Clothes, coats, so many wehave families who don't have electricity.

(02:34):
And so it's not just duringthe holiday times, but it's more
because we're out of school.
Those kids don't get access toa warm building or they may not have
access to food because we areout during those times.
And there are also higherexpectations that time of year, right?
Yes.

(02:55):
Whether it's Christmas or someother observance, giving gifts is
a staple of celebrating.
And Thanksgiving, of course,having a meal with your family is
kind of the core thought of that.
How is your social work teamexperiencing, becoming aware of those

(03:20):
needs?
And how do you bridge the gapbetween their needs, which I'm sure
not everybody wants to talkabout readily, and what resources
you have access to to helpwith that.
Does that.
Does that make sense?
It does.
It does.
We have each school, as Ifirst stated, there are 36 of us.

(03:41):
Each school is.
Has a school social worker.
And so within each school, thegoal is to establish a school culture
where families feel welcomedand appreciated.
And that is the goal of us asschool social workers.
And so with that, we buildrelationships with our families.

(04:02):
And sometimes they feelwelcomed enough to say, hey, I'm
really struggling this year.
We don't have access to food.
We don't have access to a coat.
And so we are able to connectthat family to a community resource.
And, you know, there are timeswhere families often say, I don't

(04:24):
want anyone to know that I'mreally having difficulty providing
food or providing shelter.
And so with that, we also, asschool social workers, have access
on our school social work pagethrough Cobb County School District
that lists, I am in need of resources.

(04:46):
And families can immediatelyclick there and see a wealth of resources
that may be able to help themat that time.
Okay, so they don'tnecessarily need to reach out to
their school social worker.
You've already got a list ofresources available on the website.
But if they still have need,they can reach out to.

(05:06):
They can certainly reach outto their child's school social worker.
All right.
Certainly for those of you athome, those links will be in the
show notes and thedescription, so don't sweat.
When are they going to say the website?
You'll be fine, Trust me.
Okay.
So when it comes toorganizations that might be listening,

(05:31):
or maybe the listener is amember of a company or maybe a church
or synagogue or some othercivic organization that wants to
help, they just don't knowwhere to start.
What are some of thepartnerships and programs that they
can get involved in to be apart of the solution for these needs?

(05:55):
They can certainly reach outto their child's school and reach
out to school social workers,school counselors.
Just reach out directly.
They can reach out directly,but more importantly, here in Cobb
county, we have the CobbSchools Foundation.
And so with that foundation,they can express an interest of if

(06:16):
they want to donatefinancially or if they want to volunteer.
That would be a go to as well,where they can reach out to them
and see how they can getconnected and even partner.
Yeah.
Now, you mentionedvolunteering, and I would imagine
that might actually be atougher hurdle, because for someone

(06:39):
to work within the school,there has to be a background check.
Safety is the primary thing.
Safety is important.
So would you say thatdonations or even just money donations
would be A great route forsomebody to participate through the
Cobb Schools Foundation.
Yes.
Financially, if they want todonate, that would be the go to Cobb

(07:03):
Schools foundation because asyou mentioned, safety is important.
So even though we hear oftenfamilies, not families, but we often
hear organizations want tocome into the school, there are certain
procedures in place that haveto be addressed first.
And so we hear your heart, wewant you to show up.

(07:25):
But I would start with theCobb Schools foundation with getting
connected and providing support.
Okay.
And some of these outsideorganizations also have kind of been
pre approved, I guess, for helping.
For example, I know that thereare pantries in a lot of the schools.

(07:47):
So why don't you tell us alittle bit about that side of things
and maybe some insights on howthe viewer can help that process
move along.
Currently there is a largeneed of non perishable items for
many families.

(08:08):
As you mentioned earlier,there's food insecurities.
And so with food insecuritiesin place, individuals can donate
non perishable items to theirlocal food pantry.
Because many families arevisiting food pantries and they had
never done that before.

(08:29):
And so they're visiting theseplaces, attempting to access food.
It's simple.
While shopping, you may wantto pick up a few extra canned goods.
It doesn't take much.
It doesn't take much whileyou're on aisle to pick up a few
extra cans of green beans orcorn and reach out to your nearest

(08:55):
food pantry that's in yourarea and drop those off.
It's just as simple.
We have a heart to serve andit doesn't require individuals to
have write a big check, eventhough we would like that.
Right.
You're not going to turn the window.
We would not turn away a large check.

(09:15):
But it's just the small thingsthat really make a difference.
Well, I would think even agift card donation.
Oh yes, certainly a gift cardfor a Kroger, a Publix, Walmart,
something simple.
$5, $10.
Gift cards are not perishable,but they can buy perishable things.
So that's, that's kind of whatit is.
They can buy.

(09:35):
And so, you know, they've oneof the things too.
We're in this season of giving.
Thanksgiving, Christmas, we'rein this season, but needs are just
not limited to the holidays.
Yeah, they are throughout the year.
And so a call to those thatcertainly want to give.

(09:59):
Think about needs happening inJanuary, March.
The needs are there.
Oh yeah, yeah.
They just don't, they justdon't stop.
Okay.
So yeah, January is like,that's when all the bills come due.
Right.
And so sometimes peoplemiscalculate a thing or two.
But the reality is, if youmiscalculate at all, sometimes it

(10:24):
can derail a thin budget tobegin with.
It creates a shortage.
And yes, they should havecaught it, but the reality is they
didn't.
They missed it.
And as a result, there aresome very legitimate needs out there.
The children didn't ask forany of that.
Exactly.

(10:44):
So food insecurity is one ofthe big challenges.
And this morning, you'restanding here with your coat on.
We happen to be recording thisat a time when we've had the first
really cold morning.
I think it was 31 or 29,somewhere in there.
Coats, not just food, butcoats are a big need.

(11:06):
Right.
Coats are certainly a big needwe do have.
And when I speak of we.
The school social workdepartment is partnering with Cobb
emc, which hosts Operation Warmth.
However, there are so, so manymore kids that can benefit from just

(11:29):
a coat, a jacket.
You have students coming tothe bus stop with no jacket on.
Yes.
And so this morning was thatmorning where kids are showing up
with no jacket.
And it's not the parentssaying, oh, I forgot to put a jacket
on.
No, they don't have access to one.

(11:52):
As I stated, gift cards aredefinitely great because then we
could offer that gift card tothe family who may need a coat.
And we've had instances whereorganizations will partner with the
school within their areas tohave a coat drive or a sock drive

(12:13):
to donate those items.
And so that's just not onetime of year those items can be used.
Socks, all year, coats.
So dignity in all of this is a concern.
Somebody who is not chronically.
And for what it's worth, mostof these people we're talking about

(12:35):
are not just chronically indire need, always leaning on the
generosity of someone else.
These are people who getcaught in a situation.
Right.
For a lot of the cases, wehave people who, for whatever reason,
lost their job, or maybe theindustry just goes into kind of a
declining time during thewinter months.

(12:58):
Makes it hard.
So is that accurate?
Yes.
Yes.
There's often a stigmaassociated during this time of the
year, Thanksgiving andChristmas, that it is for people
who are living in poverty.
But as a school social worker,having served families and children

(13:20):
over the years, it can be theloss of a spouse that will cause
a family to experiencefinancial hardship.
Yeah.
They've never been in thisspace before.
It could be where a familymember becomes ill and they can no
longer work.

(13:40):
Yeah.
Hourly paid.
Yes.
Yes.
It could be a mother who hasbeen recently diagnosed with cancer
and is unable to work to carefor their family.
It's that simple.
So it's not just families whoare living in poverty.
For many of us to betransparent, many of us may have

(14:03):
a life experience that sets usback to where we're unable to provide
for our families.
And so it's not an individualtype issue.
It's a community.
Not only a community issue,but a community solution.
Yeah, a lot of people do endup in an impoverished situation because

(14:25):
of bad decisions, but a lot ofpeople just end up there despite
making all the right choices.
You can make all the right choices.
And I often say, when life islifing, laughing at you, at you,
it is, how are you going to deal?

(14:45):
So as school social workersand here in Cobb county, as I stated,
there are 36 of us that are in schools.
We're here to walk alongsideof those families in their greatest
point of need.
Do we have all the solutions?
No, but we're there to be of.
Support, to either be aresource or find a resource.

(15:09):
Exactly.
Be a resource or find a resource.
Connect that family to that resource.
We're here.
So the family watching,listening, what's the first step
that they should take?
Is it just reach out to theschool social worker?
I think you kind of mentionedthat earlier.
Yeah.
They can certainly reach outto their child's school request to

(15:32):
have conversation with theschool social worker.
They may also reach out totheir child's school counselor just
to express.
We all work collaborativelyand in confidence.
And confidence, yes.
You mentioned dignity.
Certainly we want to maintain that.
And a family member may justgo on our website, Cobb county school

(15:54):
district website, and findtheir child school social worker.
And the information is there.
Well, you know, you mentionedsomething a minute ago that I thought
was intriguing and that isthat, yes, we pay attention to it
more during this season of Thanksgiving.
And gratitude, by the way,that is the key to happiness, I'm

(16:17):
convinced, has been gratefulfor what we have and have been given
and have earned.
But it doesn't just end afterthe holidays are over.
The need continues, right?
The need continues.
The need continues.
Kim, thank you so much foreverything you do, everything your

(16:38):
team does, and not just duringthe holidays, but all year long.
You have been a true providerfor people who need the help.
And kids cannot learn unlesstheir needs are met, basically.
That's for sure.
Yeah.
They have an emotional barrierthat literally keeps them from learning.

(16:58):
So if you can help them learnthrough providing these needs, you're
helping education in God.
Yes.
And I would just also like tosay thank you for this opportunity,
but I want people to know thatany during this season and throughout
the year that the goal is notjust to give something tangible,

(17:20):
but you are instilling hope inthose that may have lost hope because
of the things that they haveexperienced in their family.
So just know that you are ahope giver throughout the year.
That is a great way to put it.
That's very accurate.
Once you know somebody cares,it makes a big difference in your

(17:41):
demeanor and getting back onyour feet.
Absolutely.
Well, if you're a parent or acommunity member looking for help
or wanting to lend a hand,visit the Cobb School's Student support
[e-mail] we're goingto have all this in the show notes
and description, so don'tsweat about it.

(18:02):
But feel free to use thatresource to reach out directly to
your school's your child'sschool counselor or social worker.
They work together very closely.
And in this season ofgratitude, I'm thankful that we have
people like Kim helping toconnect families in need with generous
members of our community.

(18:22):
And don't forget to like,subscribe and share this episode
of the Inside Scoop so otherscan learn how to make a difference
this holiday season.
Thank you for listening tothis edition of the Inside Scoop,
a podcast produced by the CobbCounty School District.
It.