More Than a Summer Program

Sherena Sabla and Aniya Mayo didn't set out to build something extraordinary. They simply refused to look away.

Working in summer camps, they saw what others might have overlooked — not just children passing time, but children full of potential waiting to be unlocked. The kids were safe, but their days felt flat. Uninspired. Something was missing, and Sabla and Mayo knew they could help change that.

"The children weren't getting the enrichment that they needed," Sabla recalls. "So we sat down and planned what Growing the Distance would be."

What began as a modest summer idea grew into something alive with purpose. They wanted children to go home with stories — stories of wonder and discovery and firsts. This is my first time seeing an alpaca. This is my first time making sushi. Not just activities, but first glimpses into a bigger world.

But curiosity can't thrive in an empty stomach.

That's where Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC became an essential partner. Throughout the school year, meals are provided Monday through Friday. In the summer, when school cafeterias close and routines disappear, Second Harvest ensures children at Growing the Distance still have access to breakfast and lunch — nourishment that makes everything else possible.

Sabla sees the difference those meals make every day. She also feels the weight of the need behind them.

"If they don't have these meals, how does it affect them mentally, emotionally, academically?" she asks. "They can't learn well if they are not well fed."

Growing the Distance serves thirty-five students, most from Title I schools in High Point. The program meets children where they are — and then opens doors they might not have known existed. Field trips. Mentorship. Reading. Friendships built over shared meals and shared experiences.

Some children are trying something new for the first time. Some are finding a space where they feel genuinely welcomed. Some simply benefit from having caring adults show up, consistently, week after week — people who see them clearly and believe in what they're capable of.

That consistency is itself a form of nourishment.

The impact of Growing the Distance has already begun to ripple outward. What started as a summer program has grown into something far more ambitious — a public charter school set to open in August 2026. A testament to what becomes possible when a community chooses to invest in its children.

And the partnership with Second Harvest helps make that growth possible — bringing meals and support directly into the community where children already gather and feel at home.

"These aren't just activities," Sabla says. "They help children believe in themselves and see more possibilities for their future."

Across Northwest North Carolina, partnerships like these are proof that when communities show up for their children — consistently, generously, and with genuine care — children thrive.

And it starts with something simple but powerful: believing in children before they've had the chance to show you everything they're capable of.