School Pantry Program Lifts Community

Published On: October 30th, 2017By Categories: Miscellaneous1.7 min read

With the new school year underway, parents, teachers and students start their yearly routine, which can come with some challenges. Whether it’s access to reliable transportation, having enough time to eat breakfast or staying alert in class, the last thing a family should have to worry about is having enough food for the week.

Feeding San Diego partners with schools across the county to provide assistance to families experiencing food insecurity. Living without reliable access to affordable, nutritious food can manifest in varying degrees and circumstance. Our school partners want to show their communities that there is a way to receive an adequate volume of nutritious food that can help supplement their grocery budget.

Chase Elementary is one of our school partners hosting a School Pantry to ensure their East County community is receiving the food and resources they need.

Our hardworking contact, Catherine White, at Chase Elementary, elaborated on her experience with the School Pantry program.

What is your favorite part about hosting the school pantry at Chase Elementary?

Allowing the community to see Chase as more than a school. It’s important for the community to see Chase as a safe place, a place of support for themselves and families. It’s also important for our students to see how acts of kindness can create a positive change in the community.

How do you feel the School Pantry program has impacted your direct community or parents?

Parents are encouraged because the hard work they do to provide for their children is supplemented by the school, and this creates an additional buy-in for the parents and a desire to help the school. The community gets the chance to see the school not only as a place for the community but as a resource for families as they help raise their children.

With programs such as School Pantry, we hope to lessen the burden that families face during the start of the new school year and to continue to work towards our goal of a healthy and hunger free San Diego.