This is a happy story

A story of a wrong made right

This is the story of Hope 

A school, a job, a jab

And hope for a better tomorrow

Hope is my little sister

We grew up in the old days

Before the law protected her rights

Hope has an extra chromosome 

For our local public school that was too many

For Hope, the doors remained closed

I went to school with my other two sisters

We took a big bus for a short ride to school

Hope took a short bus for a big ride to school

I loved school

I had a lot of friends and opportunities

Hope’s school was far away from me

She came home tired at night

No friends came over to play

I was sad and confused

Kids at school made fun of me

They couldn’t see our Hope

Who is funny, smart, a dancing queen

Kids said the R-Word

I fought back the best I could

I was sad - without Hope

Life wasn’t fair

The government agreed

New laws were written

Civil rights protections

Access to education

No more discrimination

This was good news for the future

But for many the damage was already done

It was - and still is - hard to get a job

People have trouble understanding what to do

Our school knew that history had been unfair

They wanted to make right

They knew Hope was smart

They knew Hope was able

They gave Hope a shot

A shot at a better quality of life

They liked the hope they saw in Hope

They offered her a job

Hope became a school lunch lady

A shot for a better tomorrow

Hope has been a lunch Lady for 19 years

NINETEEN YEARS

Serving kids lunch on their trays

Happy to be where she always belonged

Included with her sisters and her peers

Little faces smile as they accept their lunch

Faces that look like mine

Faces that look like yours 

Faces that look like hers

Faces that look like ours

The school’s shot paid off

Hope is a fabulous lunch lady

The kitchen staff love her

The kids love her 

She does good work

I saw the good and I saw the work

This became my life’s mission

My sparkle

Keep reading, dear reader, the story gets sweeter from here

Another shot of good for Hope

This one in the arm

Today Hope got the COVID vaccination

Thanks to being an essential employee at the school

COVID is extra deadly

For those with the extra chromosome

The states decide who gets the shot

The state said, stand in line and wait for your age

This makes me sad and mad

I grew up protecting my sister and friends with disabilities

History had been so unfair

I looked to the state, but the state looked away

Hope got lucky

Her job got her the jab

I am grateful to my old school

Hope went from excluded to essential

This school turned a wrong into a right

I send this message of Hope to the people of the world

Wishing health and healing to those left behind

This one goes out to the employers

Thank you for looking beyond the labels

And opening doors to employment

You are saving lives and saving Hope

Here is a picture of Hope

She is getting her shot

“That was not bad”, she said

I agree

That was all good, Hope

Hope has THREE jobs

She works at The Prospector Theater on Saturdays

Visit her at the Box Office or Café

Ask her if she likes her job

Watch her reaction

It’s well worth the price of admission 

Best served with popcorn

And a dash of Hope

-Valerie Jensen

Thank you to Dr. JoAnn Marion, Dr. Rosemary Dowling, and the Somers Central School District. You inclusive and forward-thinking ladies opened a door at Primrose Elementary that had never been open before. You taught me. You gave me the tools I needed to open doors to a sparkly future of inclusion and meaningful employment to many people, giving hope to many more. 

And thank you to Dolly and Melissa - Hope’s fellow lunch ladies - for including Hope and teaching her the ropes. Hope loves you and you give me hope for more coworkers like you to help open those doors. 

Sparkle on, change makers!