Rob Holmes And The Kids Won Big

By Rocko Jerome Photos By Matt Johnson 

In 2015, Robert Holmes III found himself back in one of his old familiar places, as School Community Liaison and Assistant Athletic Director of Seneca High School, his alma mater. 

“There are few things I can think of in life more rewarding than working with those kids,” says Rob. “When working with youth in the moment, you may not always see the impact. But inevitably, I see them later in public as adults, and they have brought me to tears recounting the role I played during their high school years. Those encounters make it worth it”. 

Inside his office at the school, Rob kept plenty of snacks. “Chips, peanuts, Little Debbies,” he recalls. “Comfort foods that I grew up eating, like most of us. Those are definitely still popular with kids, as I found that there were students who would always come in and steal them. Initially, I just thought they were cutting up, and I was like, ‘I’m running you out of here!’ But then, a couple of these kids were especially persistent. Something began to dawn on me. They weren’t just doing this to clown around. They were really hungry.” 

Rob began to bring in more and healthier food, but it was easy to see that the problem was a bigger one than he could fix alone. “It was clear that I was fighting a rising tide,” he says. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it, the effect hunger was having on these kids. Beyond the severe psychological impact of not getting basic needs in your own home, imagine the level of discomfort you would have. Going to bed hungry, waking up hungry, coming to school hungry, and some adult is telling you to follow every rule and learn geometry and history, and expect you to feel like everything is alright. You couldn’t even begin to focus. It sets a person up for failure before they even begin in life. I saw that something had to change, and that I was being called upon to take action.” 

Now, ten years later, Rob is the President of Seneca Past and Present, a nonprofit company designed to help the school, its community, and everything related continue to flourish. “We’re here to build capacity and develop long-term growth in membership, awareness of what we are about and ultimately, cash for these kids,” Rob says. “We are constantly looking for creative ways to increase revenue and constantly exploring options as we work alongside Dare to Care and Blessings in a Backpack.” 

One way Rob has introduced a path to fundraising is through charitable gaming, such as electronic pull-tab machines that you might find around town. “Our goal is to help modernize and make professional the gaming experience, making it feel safe and fun to do,” he says. This initiative has raised the charity’s bottom line tenfold, and the nonprofit has never been healthier. 

“One of the absolute most loving things you can do for another person is feed them,” he says. “Through Seneca Past and Present, I’m so proud to say that we’re doing that every day.”