DCHS works to restock pantry for the holidays - douglascountysentinel

DCHS works to restock pantry for the holidays - douglascountysentinel

Douglas County High School is asking the community to help restock its student needs pantry as the holidays approach.

DCHS staff members Miranda Stanley and Erica Springer run the pantry that is open to students in need of food or personal items. The school posted on Facebook that the pantry is almost empty and donations are needed to fill it back up.

"Last year, we continued to get so many emails of students who were considered homeless and our thought was that we needed to be able to help," said DCHS Principal Andre Weaver.

The school accepts donations of food and/or money. The monetary donations are put into a school account and then used to purchase items like canned food, packaged potatoes and rice, snacks, breakfast items and toiletries.

Any student is able to walk into the pantry and pick up what they need. Students can then leave the items in the office and take them home on the bus, or the school's resource officers will take them home for students if they are embarrassed.

In addition to the student pantry, the school started a clothing closet that operates under the same principle, run by upper level marketing students.

Weaver said the reason the pantry and closet were set up is to serve the basic needs of the students.

"If we do that, they know automatically we care," Weaver said. "They know that we want the best for them. If the basic needs are met, academics will rise."

see pantry/page A2

DCHS announced on its Facebook page Thursday that the Media Center will be accepting canned or dry goods in exchange for library book fines until Dec.16. Students will receive $1 per item donated. All goods donated will be given to the school's food pantry.