A Community of Support: How You Can Help Teachers this New School Year

by MEGAN TAYLOR

“It takes a village” is truly the right statement to say when it comes to helping children be successful in school. In order for students to grow and create their own paths in life, they need support from their loved ones, teachers, schools and community leaders. Just like teachers, they need the right tools, opportunities and supplies.

Teachers are one of the many backbones of schools as well as the community. They spend many hours inside the classroom, teaching, counseling, guiding and numerous other roles, in addition to countless hours outside of the classroom, planning and preparing. Teachers also spend their own money on supplies and resources needed to make learning fun and engaging for children. All of these activities are done with one goal in mind – help students learn, grow and be successful.

Teaching is a hard job with beautiful outcomes. Yet, it can’t be done alone. Every time August rolls around, a new school year rolls around with it. As members of the community, we have the duty to support teachers in any way that we can.

Whether you are doing this venture alone or with a group, consider the ways below to help teachers start a new year on a strong foot:

• Donate School Supplies and Classroom Basics - Host a drive through your church, business or friends to collect school supplies. Then, donate them to a local school or the WS/FCS Educator Warehouse. You can also simplify it and just purchase a few items, here and there, in early August when things are on sale. There is no amount too small, and all items are greatly appreciated by teachers. Put a spin on your donations and add a theme, such as you are only taking collections for pencils, classroom decorations, notebooks, etc. Lastly, if you prefer to donate online, ask your child’s teacher if they have an Amazon wishlist or Donors Choose project for you to contribute to. If not, teachers always welcome donations of tissues, pencils, hand sanitizer and anything else throughout August and the rest of the year.

• Give Contributions for Student Meals - School lunches cost students and, many times, students will go into debt because of not having the money to pay for their lunch. Call your neighborhood school and contribute to a students’ (or just, in general) to meals. You can also ask if the school has a food and/ or clothes pantry to see how you can help.

• Expand Classroom and School Libraries - According to research, students who don’t read over the summer lose about 20% of their previous school years gain. To help jumpstart the regain, consider giving books, new or barely used, to teachers and schools, especially Title 1 schools where the majority of the school’s population come from low income households.

• Volunteer at School - If you are a parent, guardian, grandparent or a loved one, sign up to volunteer at your child’s school. Through volunteering, one can assist in the school library, chaperone a field trip, work the front desk or make copies for the teachers. Don’t forget to also join the school’s PTA or PTO. The Parent Teacher Association/Organization is a great place to begin assisting teachers and schools and finding out all the ways possible to help.

• Advocate and Support - Remember, guiding students to success is a “village effort.” Many educational decisions are made on local and state levels. Use your voice to stand up for the teachers, students and schools and make yourself heard on key issues. Local school board meetings happen every month. If you don’t know where to start, stop by a board meeting for a few minutes and listen to what topics are being discussed.

• Host a Teacher Appreciation Event - Surprise teachers with a breakfast on the first day of school or an ice cream treat at the end of the first week. If you are a business owner, consider hosting a special teacher appreciation event for all to enjoy.

To all teachers everywhere, we salute you and all of the hard work and heart work you are doing. Together, we can pledge to support you in all that we can this school year and beyond.

by AMY HILL

heat got you in a dieting slump? Take a break from backyard hot dogs and potato salad for more nutritious fare. Advance-based Healthy Made Simple is a healthy meal service that provides fresh, quality meals for individuals of all lifestyles and medical backgrounds. Pam Baker started Healthy Made Simple after a tough divorce left her wondering how to reinvent herself after being a stay-athome mom. With years of experience as a personal trainer and an event planner, Pam combined her knowledge of health and nutrition with a strong business acumen to serve clients looking for convenient, delicious meals designed to help them reach their health goals.

Inspired by the postpartum success she experienced by using the WeightWatchers weight-loss program, Pam began educating her personal training clients on the program. In fact, Healthy Made Simple was born after one of her clients expressed a desire to have healthy foods prepared for them to make the weight loss program more convenient. In January 2016, Pam began cooking out of her home kitchen for clients and friends until she met her current husband, Inkem Baker, who supported her in starting a commercial kitchen in Advance in 2018.

Healthy Made Simple creates convenient, nutritious, calorieconscious meals for clients with all dietary needs without compromising taste. The Bakers have perfected their recipes, making their meals so enticing and easy to serve that clients no longer have the temptation to resort to unhealthy, quick alternatives. Customers are able to choose from various cuisines, with Mexican enchiladas winning one of the most requested meals among clients. Pam and Inkem also plan seasonal menu items, such as hearty casseroles and warm stews for cold winter months, and light pastas and salads for the summer. This August, keep an eye out for meals containing fresh vegetables and

Summertomatoes heading into the fall season. Customers can order for themselves or even order family style meals that serve up to four to six people. Healthy Made Simple meals are ideal for providing delicious, ready-to-eat meals to busy households that don’t want to resort to ultra-processed frozen meals or fast food after long days of school, work and/or sports.

Professionals with packed schedules can bring Healthy Made Simple meals to work for guilt-free lunches on the job or come home to a refrigerator full of appetizing prepared entrees to take the burden of cooking off their already full plates. Over the last few months, Healthy Made Simple has seen an increase in their catering requests, which allows clients to request custom menus for events and parties. Pam and Inkem’s team efficiently transports clients’ selections with set-up service included. The Bakers encounter many customers from out of town who use Healthy Made Simple to provide meals for elderly parents or loved ones as an alternative to time-consuming and costly meal-prepping routines. With chaotic lives leaving little time to cook, Healthy Made Simple customers can rest assured their loved ones have wellrounded, nutritious meals daily. Give the gift of convenience to friends and family members for birthdays, holidays and anniversaries with a Healthy Made Simple gift certificate.

Each Sunday, a new Healthy Made Simple menu is posted on the website, prompting customers to purchase their selection of meals for the upcoming week before Wednesday at midnight. Meals are prepared on Sundays and are available for delivery or pick-up each Monday. Meals remain fresh for up to a week in the refrigerator and are made from high-quality ingredients and organic produce. Portion-controlled meals with the WeightWatchers Points provided help clients reduce calories without feeling deprived.

Healthy Made Simple customers can also take advantage of the Carrot Club Rewards Program, where clients earn points for each dollar spent on meals, by sharing news and updates on social media, birthdays and referrals. Points never expire and accumulate for clients to redeem discounts on meals. This month, check Healthy Made Simple’s website and social media pages for exciting back-toschool specials and giveaways.

Healthy Made Simple is a local small business that strives to bring healthy convenience to the Triad to meet the needs of individuals and families to maintain health or achieve weight loss goals. Whether you’re looking for a quick grab-and-go option or a prepared meal at home, the Bakers have you covered! With their dedication to quality, Healthy Made Simple aims to make healthy eating an enjoyable and effortless part of your daily routine. One client informed Pam that he lost 25 pounds after only six to eight weeks of Healthy Made Simple meals, which is just one success story of many.

Interested in eating with Healthy Made Simple? Visit the website at hmsimple. com to learn more about the Bakers, meal plan options and the Carrot Club Rewards Program. The Healthy Made Simple kitchen is located at 1116 NC- 801, Advance, NC 27006. Check out Healthy Made Simple on Facebook, and follow @healthymadesimple_ws on Instagram to learn more.

50%