[caption id="attachment_211795" align="alignright" width="339"] Dr. Corey Miklus, Seaford School District Superintendent | PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SEAFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT[/caption] It takes a village, a community, a mission of caring and giving charities to make a difference to the everyday lives of people around us. It is so easy for folks who are struggling to become invisible, to not even register their hardships as we move forward with our lives. At Seaford School District we see it all. The triumphs and the challenges. And with us, it is the child that comes first. Always. We are dedicated to nourishing their minds and bodies. It is with gratitude and appreciation that we recognize the Freeman Arts Pavilion for the Creative Nourishment Kit the children received along with their Food Bank Backpack meals. Once a month during March, April and May the children received an art kit in both English and Spanish, with workbook directions, art supplies – art paper, markers, and a glue stick — as well as string for display. The step-by-step worksheets were created by local artist John Donato specifically for grade clusters to align with school curriculum and to encourage creativity. According to Americans for the Arts, students who are highly engaged in the arts are twice as likely to graduate college than their peers with no arts education – we have to start somewhere! To date, five Sussex County school districts have requested more than 23,000 kits; just as Food Bank volunteers assemble backpack meals for students, we know that Freeman Arts volunteers assembled 25,000 art kits, benefiting students in ours and other districts. Thank you for your generosity and inspiring our children to explore their creative selves.

• Dr. Corey Miklus Superintendent, Seaford School District