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Dec 10, 2009

"The act of compassion begins with full attention." --Daniel Goleman

A School That Serves As A Lifeline

Principal Sherrie Gahn said she was shocked when she first came to Whitney Elementary School seven years ago."The kids were eating ketchup packets," Gahn said. "I said to one of my teachers, 'What on Earth are they doing?' and she said, 'That's their dinner.' " Whitney Elementary is in a dusty, rundown neighborhood of Las Vegas. Families here live at the edge of financial disaster. Gahn estimates that 75 percent of her 622 students have experienced homelessness or are in danger of becoming homeless. Under Gahn's leadership, Whitney Elementary has become the chief lifeline for its students and their families. In addition to the regular lunch program for needy kids, the school operates a food bank. Hundreds of students are sent home each Friday with food supplies to keep their families fed through the weekend.