Pride Pantry provides for students - HNGnews.com

Pride Pantry provides for students - HNGnews.com

One in five children in Dane County live in food insecure households. According to a report from the Public Health Madison & Dane County issued in June, food insecurity, which occurs when food access is insufficient or uncertain for at least one person in a household at some point in the year, can lead to physical, cognitive and psychosocial stress in children.

Staff at the McFarland High School have decided to help those students impacted by food insecurity by creating the Pride Pantry. At-risk teacher Wendy Pliska said the pantry provides weekend sacks for students to take home with them. The program is similar to the K-8 Snack Sacks sponsored by the Optimist Club, in which youths in food insecure homes are provided a sack of nutritious food for the weekend.

Pliska and other school staff decided there were high school students who would benefit from a similar program.

“It was really a grassroots effort,” she said. “We said, ‘Let’s find a way to have healthy portable food that if one of our kids needs help, they have a place to get it.’”

When looking at what type of food to offer, Pliska said the group considered three things: the food should be healthy but still appetizing to high school students, it should be easy to prepare, and it should be light enough to carry.

“We don’t want a five-pound can of peaches that the student will have to carry for three-quarters of a mile,” she said.

The most needed items are granola bars, cereal, fruit cups, applesauce, instant oatmeal, just-add-water pancake mix, maple syrup, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, jelly, and canned or boxed soup.

The staff are looking to identify students who may face food insecurity. One of the factors being considered is students who qualify for free and reduced lunch. Pliska said there are between 40 and 50 students in the high school who qualify for free and reduced lunch.

“We’re looking for students who would really benefit from that support,” she said.

The decision to name the resource the Pride Pantry has its roots in encouraging students to demonstrate Spartan PRIDE – preparation, respect, integrity, determination and excellence.

“We wanted it to be something positive,” Pliska said.

The staff operating the pantry want to ensure the teenagers who are stopping by do not feel stigmatized.

“Some would rather go hungry than be seen getting help,” Pliska said.

To be discreet, the pantry is located in the guidance office, which is a heavy traffic area where students come in to pick up college applications, look into classes and similar matters.

There has already been great community support for Pride Pantry. During the fall parent-teacher conferences, people donated items. Members of the community have provided food or money to the program, while businesses and churches are looking to conduct food drives.

“We have been really impressed by the way people have reached out to us,” Pliska said. “Every time someone brings something in, even a box of granola bars, it makes a big impact.”

She said the pantry demonstrates the school acknowledges that some of the teens’ families are struggling.

“I’m so grateful to be able to say, ‘Hey, there are people in this school and people in this community who know that you are struggling and they care about you and they want to help you,’” Pliska said. “And sometimes I think that’s more filling than peanut butter crackers.”

To learn more about Pride Pantry or to donate, contact Pliska at 838-3166, ext. 4717, or pliskaw@mcfsd.org.