Regarding the June 21 editorial “Denying a lifeline to the poor”:
The parents of these children are not looking to take advantage of our charity; the requests we receive to help a child come only from their teachers or social workers.
The items we pay for might not be considered “essential,” but they provide normalcy and, yes, fun. It’s easy to stigmatize the poor and suggest they are gaming the system, but, in our experience, these parents merely want to give their children a chance and lift their spirits.
Ron Fitzsimmons, Alexandria
The writer is executive director of the charity Alice’s Kids.