SAGINAW, MI -- A new food pantry inside of Saginaw High School will help students stay focused on school while providing them nourishment some may lack.
On Wednesday, May 9, a food pantry opened in room 168 of the high school's sixth wing.
The pantry will be supplied with non-perishable food through the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan and will be operational from 2:40 through 3:20 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
All students in the Saginaw Public School District receive free lunch under the USDA's Community Eligibility Program.
The pantry will help students who are in need or whose family is in need of food.
Amaya Jackson, a junior at the high school, said it was a good idea.
"I thought it was really cool because some people at my school are going through tough times and don't have food to eat all the time," Jackson said. "It's cool that they can go to the office and tell them and they don't have to go home hungry."
Tanya Welch, academic interventionist, said students can come to staff in confidence and receive a care package of food.
The pantry will also be available for students who participate in sporting events or have parents who work late.
"A lot of parents are working multiple jobs and the kids can get food from the pantry to hold them until their parents get off work," Welch said.
Welch said the program will run through the summer during summer school and hopes to have the funding renewed for next school year.
