.jpg)
School divisions across the state were recently recognized for their work in addressing food insecurity among students through the Food for Thought initiative. In this competition, sponsored by the Virginia School Board Association, Rockbridge County Public Schools received an honorable mention in the “Meal Access to Fight Hunger” category.
The award was for a new food pantry program at Rockbridge County High School.
The idea to establish a food pantry at the high school began in 2020 during sociology class with Sandra Hayslette. Three students – Giana McKeeman, Caroline Diette, and Emily McClung – began a food insecurity research project, said Lee Carter, Food for Thoughts senior intern. After gathering data from their research and brainstorming food distribution models, the intern team, alongside their mentor, Hayslette, opened the food pantry in October 2022.
RCHS’ food pantry functions under two delivery models, Carter explained in an email to The News-Gazette. There’s an “everyday model” in which students scan a QR code to request a day’s worth of food for their family.
Then there’s a “drive-thru” model that operates during after- school hours when families can get days’ worth of groceries. “Drive-thrus” happen once a month throughout the school year, Carter said.
The “Food for Thought” pantry is affiliated with the high school’s Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) and earns its 501c3 status through the organization, Hayslette told The News-Gazette in an email. She said she appreciates the financial and logistical support the PTSA has given the program.
Hayslette also expressed gratitude for support given from around the area. “We’re excited about support from some Rockbridge County farm partners – local producers [like] Yonderyear Farms and Cattleman’s Market have supplied meat for our distributions, and we are excited about expanding our farm partnership base in the future,” she said.
Hayslette continued, “Generous donors - individuals, businesses, and faith-based organizations - enabled us to overshoot our fundraising goal for fiscal year 2022-2023 by more than 350 percent, and we’re excited about some commitments for recurring donations. Those funds go three places: to supplement our food stock, when necessary, to support a fund to help us expand our physical space, and to build a modest endowment.”
The mentor also attributes some of their success to the support of the RCHS community, which has “provided a great deal of our stock through targeted in-school food donation drives, and with volunteers among students and staff who have helped with our inventory and preparation for food distribution.”
The Food for Thought competition was developed by the VSBA to empower school administrations in their endeavor to tackle childhood hunger and to provide students with nutritious school lunches, the VSBA news release states.
RCHS’ nomination inspires the RCHS Wildcats to work harder to combat food insecurity, Hayslette said.
Carter added that the recognition will encourage RCHS’ mission statement of “[promoting] equity at RCHS so that all students have the best learning experience possible.”
As the high school team of five senior interns prepares for the upcoming school year, they hope to expand their services, particularly with more drivethru food distributions, Hayslette noted.
“Whereas we did two of these distributions last year, (and gave out 340 and 399 meals in those two distributions), we are planning a total of 10 of them this year. Generous individuals and organizations have already pledged to fund four out of those 10 for the academic year, and we welcome inquiries about sponsorship of one of those drives,” Hayslette said.
Community members interested in the RCHS food pantry can learn more through the high school’s main office at (540) 463-5555.
