Napavine High School student Lela Stewart, the FFA chapter president, discusses the chapter’s food pantry to assist students with meals on Tuesday morning.
Napavine High School students facing weekends without guaranteed meals now have an alternative option, thanks to the school’s FFA chapter.
The Napavine High School chapter of FFA recently started a “no questions asked” food pantry, funded by a $1,200 Living to Serve Grant from the national organization.
“I personally know a few kids that have troubles,” said Lela Stewart, who is the chapter president. “They have always made it by going to their friends or something like that, but I know there are quite a few people that this can really help out.”
The chapter’s pantry has packages for both individuals and families.
“We packaged it all up and we have signs up,” Stewart said. “So if anybody doesn’t have food for the weekend, or something bad happens and they need some food, then they just come to us — no questions asked.”
Both Stewart and FFA Adviser David Rutherford said students tend to avoid asking for help, even if it means they won’t eat.
“That’s the part that we are trying to get over, is kind of that stigma of asking for help,” Rutherford said. “I notice it with kids and just what they talk about, things that they say and all that. Hopefully it’s not a big deal and they can start coming in and using it more.”
After the National FFA Organization sent out information on their Living to Serve Grants, Rutherford began talking to Napavine’s counselor and other teachers about community service projects to benefit students.
“The idea was a food pantry, which I’ve seen other schools do,” Rutherford said. “If there is an emergency — let’s say they get kicked out of their house or there is some sort of problem, or their family has a problem — this can fill that gap.”
Rutherford said several students have already come to collect packages from the pantry. The packages include items like granola bars, cereal, crackers, chips, fruit cups and canned chicken.
“Every one of them has a fruit cup and every one of them has a protein,” Stewart said. “We have little canned tuna, canned chicken. They all have a protein, some cereal, crackers, chips, fruit.”
Students in the FFA chapter portioned out the packages into what a single person would need, as well as larger packages for families.
“Most of the kids have backpacks, so they can just throw it in their backpack,” Rutherford said. “It’s really quick and easy.”
The Napavine FFA chapter is only in its second year and hasn’t done a project like this before.
“FFA has a program of activities and the idea is that the chapter should be well rounded,” Rutherford said. “One of those is a community service project and FFA’s big one is food. So we started talking about ‘what are some things we can do with that?’”
The chapter bought the first round of food last month and will replenish the pantry once the food runs out. Rutherford said he hopes the money will fund the pantry through the summer, but will continue buying food until the money is gone. The pantry will remain open during the summer and Rutherford will be at school on Fridays to hand out packages.
“It’s something we’re testing,” Stewart said. “We didn’t know how high the demand would be, but we had the grant and we are figuring that it’s a good thing to put out there.”
