“You’ve only attended 2 days of school this whole year. What happened?” 

“My computer’s broken.”

Marcia was missing assignments and her grades showed it. Looking at the F’s on her student portal, the elementary girl started to feel dumb. But KIX high school leaders encouraged her, she can bring those up--she just needed the right tools to be able to attend online school!

I called her mom that night, who explained to me the broken computer was on loan from the school. But when she brought it in, they couldn’t fix it or give her another. The school had no more devices to give--and Marcia went on the waiting list. She was failing 4th grade because she can’t afford a computer.

KIX supplied her with a working laptop to take home. The next week at KIX, Marcia shared excitedly how she had been logging on, and her grades are improving!

For low income Black and Hispanic students, the pandemic has been more than just boredom at home--although there surely has been that.

• For students whose homes are not a safe place, they’ve had to spend a lot more time there. Meanwhile, they have much less contact with teachers and counselors who can notice signs of abuse.

• For students who already isolate themselves, this has caused them to spend all day on screens filled with traumatic violence, increasing anxiety and depression.

• Suicide is at a 30 year high--and the age of suicide victims is decreasing! Students as young as 9 and 10 report suicidal thoughts.

At Miami YFC, we are intervening! Since March, we never stopped calling, texting, and visiting homes to stay in touch with our students. We served 2,495 lunches in 3 months. We’ve carefully reopened our KIX building so students have a safe place to be and do their online school. We are invested in relationships, listening to their pain, and sharing Jesus with them.

That’s why I’m rappelling this year--and ambitiously trusting God to raise $5,000 for this mission I’ve devoted my life to. Jesus is the only solution to the violence and brokenness of this world. Will you join me in bringing the gospel to students in need?