Charleston R-1 School Dist. students, families help meet greater need with Blue Jay Food Pantry

CHARLESTON, Mo. (KFVS) – College students and their households got here collectively in Mississippi County to assist a group in want.

It’s been a 12 months because the Charleston College District opened “Blue Jay Meals Pantry.”

Most of the college students and their households face meals insecurity, and organizers are seeing much more households struggling this time of 12 months.

“I do know just some luggage have been going house each week, and it was form of an as-needed foundation,” Lisa Miner, a social employee, stated. “Final 12 months, it grew to about 50 luggage every week going house for households. This 12 months, we’re sending near 100 luggage house each week for our households in our group.”

Alaina Mills is a college worker and helps run the pantry.

She stated elementary college students are serving to meet the necessity. They collected greater than 1,700 meals objects for the pantry.

“…and that first day, I feel, exceeded our expectations for the entire week, so we have been simply actually blown away,” she stated.

Because of these donations, extra households will now have full stomachs and sufficient meals to eat on daily basis.

“We’ve not needed to inform a household ‘no’ but, so we’ve been actually blessed with donations and meals drives,” Miner added.

Sarah Hicks, a workers member, stated the canned meals drive teaches college students an necessary lesson.

“To point out them that you just don’t essentially have to provide financial donations, however you can provide your time after which additionally, I feel God gave us an even bigger goal to to not simply solely handle ourselves and our household however to assist others wherever we’re in a position to,” she stated.

Along with meals, the pantry can be accumulating and handing out coats for college kids in want.

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