Too Poor for Canned Goods

This past week my kids school, Mount de Sales Academy, did their annual canned food drive for the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry.

It’s quite the competitive event… students from each grade compete to bring in the most canned goods and whichever grade brings in the most wins some kind of prize. I’m very familiar with the event because the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry is located on the campus of St. Peter Claver Catholic Church- which is also a part of St. Peter Claver Catholic SCHOOL… my former employer.

For the past couple of years I would go and photograph the students that came from MdS as they unloaded truck fulls of canned goods into the pantry, filling it up in a matter of hours. It’s really quite the site to see.

This particular school year I’ve got two students at Mount de Sales, and somehow remembering to gather the canned goods has been harder with having a baby in the house. Can’t imagine why!! These students get serious with the competition, sometimes bringing in whole pallets of cans. I’m afraid I don’t have that kind of time to run to Sam’s what with having a baby and a job in another town.

So this year I finally remembered to just do a Kroger Clicklist order… for a few things we needed, but mostly for the dadgum cans because somehow I just didn’t have any in the house. Ten cans per child.

My daughter was quite happy because she could finally claim her extra credit from one of her teachers.

My son had a different outlook, telling me “Mommy I’m glad to see these, I had told my friends I didn’t have any because we were too broke to afford them.”

My heart instantly fell, and my hand went to my forehead. “B- we can afford these! I just kept forgetting to get them.”

And my son matter of factly said “but it’s not something to be ashamed of Mommy.”

I resisted the urge to be embarrassed, and simply told him he was correct- it’s nothing to be ashamed of, but that we could afford canned goods.

Of course, our budgets are tighter this year with a new baby in the house and everything costing more as it is. And I do often tell my children that we need to be more conservative with how we consume things. Turn off the lights in the house. Don’t waste leftovers. Is it really necessary to eat out when we have food at home? Do you NEED this item versus wanting it? These really aren’t new conversations, but I suppose they’re simply more aware of them now as they get older.

But it struck me that my son wasn’t ashamed at the idea of not being able to afford something, even if it wasn’t quite true. He understands these things better than I did at his age. I can remember being embarrassed that I didn’t have the same nice things my classmates did.

My children go to a very nice private school. It is a sacrifice to send them there, and I do occasionally need help from family. But it’s a sacrifice that I gladly do for them, just as my parents did for me at their age, because the public school they initially attended couldn’t meet their needs. Mount de Sales has been tremendous for them, and they have grown so much over the past couple of years- both academically and in their character. However I have worried that they might feel like they don’t have the same things their friends have.

And in this moment I realized… this was not something I should worry about. My son thought we couldn’t afford canned goods to give away and was not bothered by it in the least. This same kid was inspired by a grad school assignment of mine- to watch a documentary about the St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia- and decided to collect socks for the homeless. A place that his school makes a yearly pilgrimage to as well.

It makes me feel so good about him and his spirit, especially heading into this season of giving. He’s not ashamed at the idea of not having what others have, and frankly it’s an inspiration to me to live a little bit more simply. And to savor the moments of indulgence when we have them. To practice gratitude, even in the smallest of ways. I am proud.