Growing up and succeeding in school is hard enough without being bullied for wearing your mom’s jeans because there’s no money to spare for new clothing. Yet this situation is all too familiar for students who come from impoverished families.
It was a story like this, along with some sobering statistics on local poverty shared at a Springfield, Mo., chamber of commerce meeting, that inspired businessman Doug Pitt, brother of famed actor Brad, to found Care to Learn in 2008. “I was shocked to hear how bad it was,” he says. “I’m involved in the community, and I thought if this was news to me, it must be news to a lot of people.” This month, the nonprofit launches a branch in St. Louis.
Since its founding, Care to Learn, which has 16 chapters serving 13 school districts in Missouri, has provided for more than 350,000 emergent needs. Whatever a child needs in school, Care to Learn seeks to provide, whether it be food, clothing, medical care, hygiene products, or transportation. Two questions serve as a litmus test for determining who receives aid, Pitt explains. “If it’s keeping the kid out of the classroom, or disrupting their classroom experience, we take care of it,” he says. “And there’s no value proposition. If it’s a $3 meal, we do it. If it’s a $3,000 hearing aid, we do it. There are just certain things we’ve got to take care of if kids are expected to be prepared to learn.”
The organization’s expansion to St. Louis, which starts with chapters in the St. Charles, Warren County and Hazelwood school districts, is a result of a collaboration between Pitt and friends Donn Sorensen, regional president of Mercy St. Louis, and TV sportscaster Joe Buck. Both serve on the local Care to Learn board.
On a 2013 trip to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Buck and Pitt brainstormed about how a St. Louis chapter would work, and decided it was necessary for every dollar raised here to stay here. “Poverty is a community problem that needs a community response,” Pitt says. “It’s on the community to step up and do something, and Care to Learn is a great tool for individuals to help out. It’s a lot easier for all of us to do a little than put the burden on a few shoulders.”
Joe Buck hosts Care to Learn’s inaugural St. Louis event, Bright Lights, Big Future, Nov. 4 at MX Movies. The evening includes a sports roundtable with local star athletes. “If people think that poverty has bypassed their neighborhood, they are wrong,” Pitt says. “These challenges exist everywhere. We created Care to Learn for every child and every student who needs it.”
Pictured: Doug Pitt and Joe Buck
Photo Courtesy of Care to Learn
[Care to Learn provides for emergent health, hunger, and hygiene needs so every child can be successful in school. For more information, visit caretolearnfund.org. To register for the Nov. 4 event, or for information on sponsorships, visit caretolearn.eventbrite.com or call 314.550.6665.]
