Our staff have noticed that several students in our building have minimal lunches while some come without. A team of teachers has come together to ensure all students have a healthy breakfast, lunch, and recess daily. This is a team effort! 

Two days a week we offer breakfast club. Students come together to have cheese or jam toast, yogurt, a drink, and play in the gym. Sometimes we even have parents come in and eat with their children as well. Additionallly, We have identified a few students who need breakfast daily. To support those students, we have the adults who have a connection with those students, check-in, and ensure they start the school day with something healthy to eat.

Our team has been making approximately ten lunches a day. More recently, we've had volunteers from a community church along with firefighters begin to deliver sandwiches to our school weekly to support our efforts. This is an incredible gift!

The students who are looking for more than just a snack from the community fridge, know they can come down to the gym kitchen and a member of the staff will be there to help them. The fridge is arranged so students have a choice of sandwiches, veggies, and snacks. We also have soup and warm choices for students who have shared that they would like some warm food. Choice allows the students to identify what they would like to eat while giving them a bit of power, in what can be a powerless situation.

With these combined efforts, we are noticing a shift. Students are beginning to realize that it's okay to ask for food if they need it. Providing a safe, non-judgmental way for students to access food is allowing our community to speak more freely about the needs of our students and their families. It's allowing us to care for the whole child.

In addition to lunches, we've created a community fridge that lives in our foyer. Our fridge is filled with healthy choices (carrots, cucumber, yogurt, apples, and oranges). To our surprise, the fridge is empty by the end of each day. It's not uncommon to see students grab an apple while going for an exercise break or come down first thing in the morning for a piece of fruit. When we notice students at the fridge, we have an opportunity to check in and see if they might need anything else.  The novelty of coming for food is dissipating, and students are learning the difference between need and want. Students are learning that there are a variety of reasons why someone might need food. It might be a lunch left at home, a snack spilled on the floor, or just a growing person who needs a bit more. Regardless, we are working to take the judgement out of being hungry.

In acknowledging that there is a need for food security in our community, we have been able to provide access to families that need it. Not only are we working to demonstrate care for each other, but we are creating safe and trusted connections for students. Our hope is that through meeting some of the most fundamental needs of our students, we can continue to deepen the relationships between students, families, and school.