Food insecurity is defined as a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food. In the United States upwards of 14 million households are food insecure during any particular year. It basically means that we have households where the members are hungry.
There are schools that have tried to fight food insecurity by having “Grab & Go” and “Take & Eat” foods for students. Chugiak High School is one such school, operating the “Mustang Food Pantry.” It’s a place for students to grab some food during the day when they might be hungry or to pick up food to bring home. Yes, schools do provide free and reduced lunches for students who have a need for it. But students may go to homes where they face food insecurity outside of the school day.
Chugiak High School has requested help in stocking their food pantry, particularly before students head home for Spring Break on March 9th.
Your Missions Committee is organizing a Food and Toiletries Drive with a collection box in the Welcome Area. All you need to do is bring your items in and put them in the box. The Missions Committee will get them to Chugiak High School.
Items requested: granola bars, energy bars, trail mix, Cup O’Noodles, individual mac and cheese cups, canned soups, canned chilis, cake mixes and frostings, and paper cups for heating soup in school. We are also collecting toiletries.
A couple of notes:
- Yes we have a local food bank that provides for people in need. This is a way to get food items directly to students without relying upon parents.
- It helps if you try to “think like a teenager” when purchasing food items. These aren’t complete meals but a way to keep teens from being hungry.