Written by Mary Tracy, Principal
The reality for so many these past few years is that jobs have become increasingly scarce. The housing market has far more houses being sold well below the price for which they were purchased. There are also many homes in Northwest Indiana, not to mention the rest of the United States, that are in foreclosure.
The reality for many families is there are fewer resources, greater financial burdens, and far more stressors on how to stretch the diminishing dollar. People who never thought they would lose their jobs or their homes are now more common than not. The reality is these are some pretty scary times for many people.
That reality is also realized in the schools. The free and reduced lunch population of Portage Township Schools, as a whole, is that of 53 percent. This number differs for each school. It has been said that when the free and reduced price lunch at the schools hits 50 percent, our communities are becoming unsustainable. This is not solely the case of Portage Township Schools; it is currently the case for other communities or it is rapidly approaching this number.
That's staggering to consider. Yet, I am continually amazed at the outpouring of love and the generosity of spirit demonstrated within the Portage community. In December of 2010, Aylesworth Elementary students and families collected 4,265 canned goods that filled a truck bed and spilled onto the showroom floor of Buick, GMC and Harbor on Route 6 that went to the Portage Food Pantry.
Additionally, ONE day prior to the holiday break, I spoke with principal, Gaye Lindsley at Central Elementary. She shared with me that one of her families had lost their home in a house fire. They have three children. She was overcome by the sheer outpouring by staff in such a short time in order to provide this family with the basic needs and to try and offset a horrible tragedy with some things that could provide joy for the children on Christmas. Furthermore, the Portage Township Schools' children and families collected countless jars of peanut butter to provide for the Northwest Indiana Food Bank.
These are only a few examples to illustrate my point, but that same kindness, generosity of spirit, and compassion are demonstrated far more than just during the holidays. They are demonstrated often and whenever there are individual students and families in need. This is not uncommon.
And, so it is with the utmost confidence that I can respond to "What's so great about Portage?" with a very short, but certain response: It's the people; that's exactly what's so great about Portage! It's the "roll up your sleeves and let's get it done belief system" and the understanding that compassion towards others is what truly matters. That is a testament to the students and families of Portage, as well as the greater community.