“They brighten my day!”

Christine walked down the hall of Rutledge* elementary school when a teacher stopped her. It was a tough week at Rutledge. Mrs. Smith was out on maternity leave so a substitute teacher was earnestly trying to prevent chaos. Another teacher, Mr. Jones had just lost his dad to a massive heart attack and was walking down the hall in a daze. Johnny William’s family had recently moved into the rescue mission with his seven siblings and was acting out his fears and frustrations in the classroom. State testing was adding to the challenges for both students and teachers. One could almost feel the anxiety and stress in the walls. 

So, when Christine walked down the hall and a teacher stopped her, she was initially worried something was wrong. But the teacher said, 

“Thank you for recruiting all these Lunch Buddies. They brighten my day!” 

A smiling presence can change a room.