On Monday mornings a delivery truck turns off of W. Chapel Hill Street and into the Emily K Center parking lot. The driver unloads his cargo: a case of Fuji apples, another of Golden Delicious, one of NC Gala apples, and another of Red Washington Delicious. But he’s not done, he returns to his truck for the rest: 40 pounds of bananas, a case of pears, and another of oranges. The EKC office manager, Michele, sees the process through, watching as each item from the order she placed on Friday comes through the door.
Come Monday afternoon, as the students enter the Center for their focused daily work with their tutors, the fruit begins to disappear from the many baskets placed around the Center and apple cores and banana peels line the trash cans.
At dismissal time, parents and siblings come in to pick up their youngsters and the Emily K Center lobbies are filled with literally hundreds of people. For Emily K CEO Marleah Rogers and her staff, this is the best part of the day: seeing the children excitedly report their achievements to their parents, watching as lead tutors pass along information to the parents of children they have come to know so well, and hearing the laughter and joy that fills the room. Each family member takes a piece of fruit. It is not unusual for students to shyly ask if they can take an extra piece home for a younger sibling, a grandmother, or a friend.
Research supports that healthy children, who have essential food groups in their diet, are better equipped to learn. But, even though the parents of Emily K Center students often have multiple jobs, families of four often have a combined income of less than $20,000. Fruit is important to a balanced and healthy diet, but it is also expensive. On such a tight budget, providing nutritious meals and snacks can be a challenge. The families of Emily K Center students are eager to take advantage of the fruit provided at the EKC and are extremely appreciative.
Marleah will always remember one story in particular, “Our parents are so committed to the success of their kids that they make many sacrifices,” she says, ”As we expanded the number of students in our Pioneer Scholars program I saw a new mom devouring an apple core. When I asked why she was eating the core, she replied that she thought the fruit was only for the children. When I told her that we encouraged everyone to take a piece of fruit, she began to cry and said, you mean I can have a piece of fruit too?”
It was always a part of the Emily K Center philosophy to provide the students with a healthy after-school snack while they work on their studies. But, since the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year, that fruit has been delivered free of charge, saving the Center hundreds of dollars a week while insuring that the after-school experience provided is complete.
Because the Emily K Center is a home away from home for some great kids, the students and their families always say, “thank you” to whatever member of the EKC staff or volunteer is nearby as they reach for their fruit. But the students do not know who really deserves the thanks. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. But I’ll tell you who it is: it’s Steve Serck.
Steve is a member of the extended Duke Basketball family, a great friend, and a four-year veteran of K Academy. In his “real life,” he lives in Chicago and runs Jack Keller Company, distributing fruits and vegetables throughout the Midwest and now, because of Steve’s generosity and connections in the produce business, Jack Keller indirectly delivers to 904 W. Chapel Hill Street in Durham via Foster Caviness out of Greensboro, NC.
Steve’s commitment to the Emily K Center is the perfect example of how supporters of the EKC can find unique ways of giving, employing unconventional methods that match their expertise or field of work with the real needs of the students and families who make the Emily K Center part of their everyday routines. When asked about Steve Serck’s contributions, Marleah Rogers says, “Steve’s generosity helps our kids brains be ready to learn, and it has taught our kids and their families to love fruit and make it a healthy lifestyle habit. Our kids and their families know there is a special donor who makes this investment in them and who is part of the larger team that believes in them. They want you to know, Steve, that they deeply appreciate your kindness and that you are making a difference in the health and well being of their family every day.” Steve Serck and the numerous other contributors to the Emily K’s success have found ways to be equally as creative as they have been committed in their giving.
When asked about her after school snack, seventh-grader Litesha responds matter-of-factly, “I like the Golden Delicious apples the best. I have one when I come here from school. My mom and I get a banana when she picks me up from Pioneer Scholars.” Like the top-notch tutoring and character development they receive through the programming at the Emily K, the healthy snack has become a part of their routine. Of course, the Center seeks to provide its students opportunities to try new things, to feel as if someone believes in them, and to receive the individual attention they need and deserve. So much of it is about dreaming and dreaming big. But it is also about developing habits for a healthy and long life, giving them not only the means, but also the time to see those dreams through.
By Friday morning, after many grateful takers and the fruit baskets near empty, it is time for Michele to place another order.
STAY CONNECTED WITH THE EMILY K
You can stay up-to-date with the latest Emily K Center news as well as submit your own comments and questions at the EKC’s new blog site atwww.emilykblog.org. Read about events taking place at the Center, take in words from the students themselves, and connect with other members of the Dream, Do, Achieve team. Currently you can read Ryan Schwartz’s (Chair of the EKC’s Volunteer Leadership Council) description of the first Social Entrepreneurship Symposium held at the EKC or enjoy 6th grade Pioneer Scholar Dashaun’s poem about what “team” really means. We encourage you to subscribe to the RSS feed or bookmark the page so that our “6th Man” can always stay connected.
