Jamea is a third-grade student at Lely Elementary School. He is an only child and lives with his parents who work in health care. Jamea’s grandmother helps to care for him. With the high cost of living in Naples, they find it hard to make ends meet. They do not always have enough money to pay all of their bills. This is a typical Power Pack family – two parents who work hard and struggle to make ends meet. They live at or below the poverty line and dream of a better future for their children.
Jamea owns one pair of shoes that have to last for the entire school year. A tidy youngster, he takes good care of his clothes and shoes. Jamea’s favorite subject in school is math. He is vivacious, charming, and has a big personality and even bigger smile.
Three years ago, he was referred to the Power Pack program by his school counselor, Tanja Bockius-Smith. Taking home the Power Pack every week makes Jamea feel like he is providing for his family. Jamea’s favorite item in the Power Pack is the canned soup. Ms. Bockius-Smith describes him as “prideful and respectful.”
79% of the 461 students at Lely Elementary School are classified as economically needy. School counselor Ms. Bockius-Smith shared, “I wanted to reach out to you and express our gratitude for all you are doing for our students. We would like to receive as many power packs as funding allows.” There are many students just like Jamea who would benefit from having consistent food over the weekends.
Jamea wants to be an actor when he grows up. He will realize his dream by staying in school. He is helped to stay in school because of the Power Pack food he is able to take home to eat over the weekend. We look forward to seeing Jamea’s name in lights on Broadway or movie screens in the future.
