Sometimes in life, a set of chance circumstances seems to coalesce into one big message. That was the case for me a few weeks ago as I began to read a flurry of news stories about the pandemic’s negative effects on children, from babies to teenagers, and then took in a commentary about the child care crisis in the pages of our own manufacturing magazine. It all came together when, in early May, I was lucky enough to attend Vintage in the Valley, the largest annual fundraiser for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley.
My kids, who were in fifth, eighth and 12th grade when the pandemic began, have been lucky to come through this time fairly unscathed. I say fairly because the pandemic has been a time when extraordinary losses have become ordinary. In 2020, big deals like missing school graduations and time with grandparents and loved ones became commonplace. I shudder to think of the kids who faced circumstances more difficult than my three sons did. And the statistics and stories around learning loss, school behavior setbacks and childhood mental health show the toll the pandemic has taken.
That brings me to an opinion piece Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry CEO Sachin Shivaram shared in our May issue of Insight on Manufacturing. In it, he describes how he and WAF are working through tough circumstances to increase access to affordable, quality child care. That second adjective, he points out, is especially important. Kids need not just a place to go for care but also opportunities for learning and growing — and, of course, plenty of play time. Please check out the piece on insightonmfg.com.
Finally, at the Vintage in the Valley event, I found myself at times wowed and others moved to tears as I listened to young people share their stories and as the nonprofit’s CEO Greg Lemke-Rochon described the impact of its programming. Bradon Wiggins, the organization’s 2021-2022 Youth of the Year winner, is an Appleton North senior, tutor, brain tumor survivor and aspiring aerospace engineer. He is a shining example of the success of the organization’s STAR (Scholars on Target to Achieve Results) program, an initiative working to build equitable educational opportunities for Black scholars in the Fox Cities. Lemke-Rochon also talked about the nonprofit’s work, which throughout the pandemic has included distributing face masks, caring for medical professionals’ children and helping kids through mental health challenges.
All these experiences galvanized me, and I hope hearing about them will spur you to action as well — as both individuals and organizations — to donate, volunteer and advocate for our kids.
