Stella Covill enjoys going down the slide as much as the children. The joy she has found in helping them learn and grow over the past nine years is seen in her smile and heard in her words. “What I give these children is miniscule when compared to what they give me. They have enlarged my life.”
Bright-eyed Roberto scoops up a forkful of macaroni and cheese, and beams. For the 5-year-old and his classmates seated around the lunch table, this is more than likely the most nutritious meal of the day. Their parents are struggling financially, many earning minimum wage, while others have been laid off due to the recession. They want their children to have a better life – and that’s where the Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA) comes in.
The organization’s primary mission is to provide child care, development and education for children of migrant farm workers and other rural, low-income families at centers throughout Florida. Founded in 1965 in the Redlands farming area of Miami-Dade County, RCMA is Florida’s largest non-profit child-care provider, serving over 8,000 children in 74 centers, including three in Fellsmere. Last year, 170 children in Indian River County were enrolled in RCMA programs designed to help them succeed in kindergarten and beyond.
Read the entire article in the March 2009 issue
True Tails is a series written by Amy Robinson for Vero Beach’s dog lovers. Ask Amy about your dog’s behavior by clicking below.
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