School pantry

[SnuggleBuggles]

Does your school have a place where kids in need can go if they need things? Our high school does but I haven't had a chance to get involved. Looking to start one at the middle school. I want it to be a place where kids can get fresh clothes, food, personal care items, school supplies... We will involve the school social workers, counselors...to see what other needs would need to be filled. Getting laundry machines is also on my list.

We wanted to do a food backpack program but lack of manpower and resources makes that a lot harder to implement.

If your school (or, perhaps, church?) offers a service like this, I would love to hear the challenges, successes, good ideas, things you would implement. Also, how do you pay for the items? Are you able to secure donations from individuals? Or businesses?
Thanks!

[lizzywednesday]

Does your school have a place where kids in need can go if they need things? ...

I'm not sure, but they do have a "sharing table" in the lunchroom, where kids can leave unopened snacks or other foods for children who need something to eat at lunchtime.

We wanted to do a food backpack program but lack of manpower and resources makes that a lot harder to implement.

Are you involved (or, if not involved, connected) with Scouting organizations? The assembly of food backpacks sounds like something Scouts aged 10 and up (roughly Webelos in Cub Scouts and Juniors in Girl Scouts) could take some time, especially if you have Girl Scouts earning their highest awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold) and need community service hours.

I'd also make an effort to connect with youth groups at your local houses of worship - my Youth Group would have loved the way to do a day of service (or multiple days of service) in this way to help Confirmation candidates earn their community service hours, among other things.

If your school (or, perhaps, church?) offers a service like this, I would love to hear the challenges, successes, good ideas, things you would implement. Also, how do you pay for the items? Are you able to secure donations from individuals? Or businesses?
Thanks!

The local food bank runs an annual "Springtime Spruce-Up" collections program for personal care items, like (new, unopened) toothbrushes, toothpaste, bar soap, shampoo/conditioner, lotion, shower gel, etc. ... and tampons/pads ...

Some of the items are donated by local businesses; others are collected in a community-wide drive.

They are assembled into care packs by volunteers working at a local church on an evening sometime in May.

It's a huge undertaking, but people in our community, from Scout troops to service organizations, are happy to pitch in. My Scouts helped assemble the care packs about 2 years ago; they were 8 and 9 years old at the time and they had all kinds of little jobs to pitch in.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'm not sure, but they do have a "sharing table" in the lunchroom, where kids can leave unopened snacks or other foods for children who need something to eat at lunchtime.




Are you involved (or, if not involved, connected) with Scouting organizations? The assembly of food backpacks sounds like something Scouts aged 10 and up (roughly Webelos in Cub Scouts and Juniors in Girl Scouts) could take some time, especially if you have Girl Scouts earning their highest awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold) and need community service hours.

I'd also make an effort to connect with youth groups at your local houses of worship - my Youth Group would have loved the way to do a day of service (or multiple days of service) in this way to help Confirmation candidates earn their community service hours, among other things.



The local food bank runs an annual "Springtime Spruce-Up" collections program for personal care items, like (new, unopened) toothbrushes, toothpaste, bar soap, shampoo/conditioner, lotion, shower gel, etc. ... and tampons/pads ...

Some of the items are donated by local businesses; others are collected in a community-wide drive.

They are assembled into care packs by volunteers working at a local church on an evening sometime in May.

It's a huge undertaking, but people in our community, from Scout troops to service organizations, are happy to pitch in. My Scouts helped assemble the care packs about 2 years ago; they were 8 and 9 years old at the time and they had all kinds of little jobs to pitch in.

Thanks! Highlighting the bold because the backpack program needs a full time commitment...and I have never gotten Scouts to commit to that. Each week food needs to be secured, packed, distributed-- each week. It needs people that are fully invested AND have time. I know that at the end of the day, I would picking up the slack and I can't do that. But running a space that has things available to pick out as needed could be operated by me, a few other volunteers and then open it up to Scouts.
We have enthusiastic Scouts...but follow through has been lacking.

I plan to run things "in house". I can put a call out for community help but I don't see it coming through for help but I could see them helping to coordinate supply drives and a few small projects.

I'm glad your Scouts are more robust in your area!

[JBaxter]

we have a clothes closet at our elementary Walk in utility room with size bins A volunteer sorts the items.

[TwinFoxes]

Thanks! Highlighting the bold because the backpack program needs a full time commitment...and I have never gotten Scouts to commit to that. Each week food needs to be secured, packed, distributed-- each week. It needs people that are fully invested AND have time. I know that at the end of the day, I would picking up the slack and I can't do that. But running a space that has things available to pick out as needed could be operated by me, a few other volunteers and then open it up to Scouts.
We have enthusiastic Scouts...but follow through has been lacking.

I plan to run things "in house". I can put a call out for community help but I don't see it coming through for help but I could see them helping to coordinate supply drives and a few small projects.

I'm glad your Scouts are more robust in your area!

It may still not work for you, but what our local food bank does is have different sets of volunteers, its not the same volunteers each week. There are some companies that send volunteers twice a month (my old company did) GS service units (which are comprised of many troops) will send a troop every other month or so, etc. It works out for them.

Our elementary school does not have a pantry, but our secondary school does. Most of the ones that I know of do, which really says something. Our county is generally thought of as very affluent. But even in affluent places there are people with food insecurity.

[pharmjenn]

One of the churches in my neighborhood which seems to do a lot of outreach has a "little box of love" in their parking lot. It was started as a Girl Scout project by the Pastors daughter. It is stocked by anyone, with anything from non-perishable food to bathroom items, clothing etc. From reading on Nextdoor, most people are leaving things like hotel sized items, toothbrushes, razors etc.
The box is in their parking lot, and available 24/7 to anyone in need. Sometimes it is empty, and sometimes stocked full. I love the idea, but hate that there are people that will come and "steal" everything and likely resell at the local swap meet.

[SnuggleBuggles]

One of the churches in my neighborhood which seems to do a lot of outreach has a "little box of love" in their parking lot. It was started as a Girl Scout project by the Pastors daughter. It is stocked by anyone, with anything from non-perishable food to bathroom items, clothing etc. From reading on Nextdoor, most people are leaving things like hotel sized items, toothbrushes, razors etc.
The box is in their parking lot, and available 24/7 to anyone in need. Sometimes it is empty, and sometimes stocked full. I love the idea, but hate that there are people that will come and "steal" everything and likely resell at the local swap meet.

We have those around too. Definitely planning to have it indoors at the school just for the school population. Again, I know my limits as well as the pool of volunteers so going with a more manageable start size.

Will definitely put calls out for items like that though.


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[MSWR0319]

Our school does the backpacks that go home on weekends. I believe some of the local food pantries help stock it, and they do a week once or twice a year where kids are to bring in certain foods each day to stock the pantry for the bags. The class that brings the most in wins a party. I believe they have NHS students help fill the bags during their study halls or things like that.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Our school does the backpacks that go home on weekends. I believe some of the local food pantries help stock it, and they do a week once or twice a year where kids are to bring in certain foods each day to stock the pantry for the bags. The class that brings the most in wins a party. I believe they have NHS students help fill the bags during their study halls or things like that.

That’s cool!
Sounds like it takes a lot of physical space- something we are desperately short on!


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[ang79]

What a timely thread, as my Girl Scout Cadette troop wants to do a clothing closet at the two intermediate schools in our district, since their Middle School has one. They are still in the gathering ideas/planning period and have yet to meet with the school counselors to work out a plan. I think the middle school counselor started their clothing closet. They get donations from the community of items and gift cards. There are students that help run it certain periods of the day when it is open for kids to "shop" in it.

Our elementary and intermediate buildings all have the backpack food programs. I think the backpacks go home every other Friday. The school counselors are in charge of distributing them to the kids. I know some community organizations donate to the program and I think they are also connected with the county food bank. At Christmas they do an additional holiday meal box with extra food, since the kids are off school for a longer period.

One year when I helped run Vacation Bible School at my old church we collected things like juice boxes, fruit cups, mini cereal boxes, and granola bars and the kids decorated paper bags. We stocked the "breakfast bags" and donated them to the church food pantry to give out to families with kids that needed an easy breakfast or snack before school.