I spend most of my professional time focused on various issues related to higher education. Sometimes, that translates into conversations with elected officials advocating infrastructure funding as critical to the health of our aging campuses and their young occupants. By contrast, often I find myself discussing with parents the importance of maintaining balance between academics and extra-curriculars as their daughters navigate that first year away from home.
This week, I realized that I’ve inadvertently constructed a bubble around myself as I have become increasingly immersed in the issues facing our students. If you’ve read our student blog, then you will know that Brescia is again participating in the annual United Way Campaign for London-Middlesex. This year, the United Way has focused on three priorities, including the issue of poverty. As part of Brescia’s launch of our internal campaign, one of the United Way’s staff members gave a presentation on the 2010 Campaign. At that moment, the full extent of my bubble, constructed over my past two years at Brescia, became obvious.
Did you realize that 25% of the childhood population of London-Middlesex lives below the poverty line? Now, if we were talking about Haiti or Kenya, this would come as no surprise to me. But London, Ontario? I was stunned. We are talking about children, in this city of ours, whodo not get enough to eat….children who do not have shoes to wear to school…children who do not have warm coats as we head into winter. We are talking about thousands of children in this city alone.
I can’t get this out of my head. As critical as the work that we do in higher education is, it brings some perspective when I think about the reality of people walking the same streets as I walk every day. As has been said many times, statistics can be manipulated to support whatever argument we wish to advance…but how can there be any other interpretation of that data than to see that we are desperately failing in meeting the most basic needs of our community?
Perhaps being a mother of young children serves to sear this into my consciousness further. Our three have every single necessity of life plus a whole layer of other ‘non-essential’ resources that help them to succeed. Not only can they expect breakfast every morning…but a nutritionally balanced, and delicious, breakfast with lots of vitamin C and fiber! Not only shoes…but warm and functional boots for when the snow flies. The list goes on.
I learned something last week about keeping my own work in perspective. I believe it is important work that I am privileged to be able to do and I will continue to believe that. But I have now been reminded that there are other needs in our community equally or more pressing that must somehow be addressed. Whether that means supporting United Way or similar appeals with our time, talent, and treasure or working at a grass-roots level advocating for change – we must find opportunities for leadership that will ensure positive change. And, note to self, we must resist the urge to become consumed with our own realities, losing sight of the bigger landscape around us.