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Fighting Community Hunger

Through Community Partnership Schools, food pantries and other nutritional services are a crucial part of efforts to combat food insecurity and ensure K 麻豆精品 S12 student success.

An illustration of food on a shelf with a "Go Team!" pendant and a "Feed Your School Spirit!" banner

When children go to school,聽their job is to learn, but it 麻豆精品 S檚聽hard for students to focus聽in the classroom and reach聽their full potential when聽hunger strikes.

Roughly 1 in 5 children聽statewide experience food聽insecurity and don 麻豆精品 S檛 know聽where their next meal is聽coming from, according to聽Feeding Florida. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a problem聽the Community Partnership聽Schools model aims to聽alleviate through one of its聽four pillars 麻豆精品 S an emphasis on聽health and wellness services.

The model was co-founded聽in 2010 at Evans High School聽in Orlando by the Children 麻豆精品 S檚聽Home Society of Florida,聽Orange County Public聽Schools and UCF. Through聽collaboration with other聽community partners, nine聽UCF-certified Community聽Partnership Schools across聽the state provide services聽that help meet students 麻豆精品 S櫬爏ocial-emotional, physical聽and academic needs so they聽can be successful in the聽classroom. That includes聽addressing food insecurity聽through the availability of food聽pantries and snack cabinets.

麻豆精品 S淲e can 麻豆精品 S檛 expect students聽to be successful in the聽classroom if their basic聽needs aren 麻豆精品 S檛 being met. 麻豆精品 S

麻豆精品 S淲e can 麻豆精品 S檛 expect students聽to be successful in the聽classroom if their basic聽needs aren 麻豆精品 S檛 being met, 麻豆精品 S澛爏ays Amy Ellis 麻豆精品 S19EdD,聽director of the UCF Center聽for Community Schools,聽which supports Community聽Partnership Schools. 麻豆精品 S淚f a聽student is consumed with聽concern over when or where聽their next meal is going to be,聽they can 麻豆精品 S檛 concentrate in class.聽We also know good nutrition聽has a lot to do with how well聽students function and pay聽attention. If we are about the聽success of students, we must聽address those areas, too. 麻豆精品 S

While many school districts聽offer free or reduced-price聽breakfast and lunch, Ellis聽says it 麻豆精品 S檚 important to provide聽a support system for food聽insecurity to fill the gaps.聽That 麻豆精品 S檚 where the food pantries,聽snack cabinets and other聽nutritional resources come聽into play.

At Evans High School,聽the pantry is called the聽Trojan Market. Kelly Astro聽 麻豆精品 S96, Evans Community聽Partnership School director,聽says it is partially modeled聽after UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Knights Helping聽Knights Pantry. Evans聽students have access to food,聽clothing, school supplies and聽toiletries through the market,聽which is also open during the聽summer if necessary. The聽market has seen more than聽2,400 visits so far this year,聽Astro says.

Just like with Knights聽Pantry, the Trojan Market聽has a team of student聽volunteers who rotate shifts聽on a weekly basis. They assist聽with ordering food through聽Second Harvest Food Bank聽of Central Florida and聽ensuring items are accessible聽to students. And although聽Evans High School has a good聽partnership with Second聽Harvest Food Bank, Astro says聽there is always a need for food,聽and donations are welcomed聽and accepted year-round.

The market has also聽undergone a few upgrades聽this year, including a聽relocation to the main聽administration building and聽the addition of a refrigerator聽to offer cold and fresh grocery聽items to students starting聽this fall.

麻豆精品 S淥ur principal felt so聽strongly about making this聽accessible to students that聽he welcomed the idea with聽open arms to move our聽Trojan Market so it 麻豆精品 S檚 part of聽our Community Partnership聽School hub, 麻豆精品 S Astro says. 麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e聽also looking for someone who聽can help us create a web-based聽ordering system 麻豆精品 S kind of like聽Instacart 麻豆精品 S so we can kick that聽off next year, too. 麻豆精品 S

麻豆精品 S淚f we can alleviate any聽stress on students caused by聽food insecurity by offering聽food and cooking classes,聽support for healthy living and聽offering preventative health聽education, we will do that. 麻豆精品 S

Additionally, there are聽plans to offer cooking classes聽for students and families with聽an emphasis on good nutrition聽and budget-friendly meals.

麻豆精品 S淚f we can alleviate any聽stress on students caused by聽food insecurity by offering聽food and cooking classes,聽support for healthy living and聽offering preventative health聽education, we will do that, 麻豆精品 S澛燗stro says.