SJHS's weekend food program

This January, St. Joe clubs, classes, and teams started hosting food drives for a new Weekend Food Program. This provides meals for 15 SJHS students and their families that don’t have guaranteed access to food over the weekend. 

photo by sky stockton

According to the Washington Post, 1 in 5 children don’t have consistent access to food in their homes. This affects a student’s ability to learn and concentrate in school, and can also affect his or her family dynamics. 

By providing a bit of extra support, this program will alleviate some of the stress for the students. People are recommended to bring in non-perishables that don’t need to be microwaved or baked. There is more information regarding which foods can be donated on the website for the Weekend Food Program which is found on the SJHS website. 

Mrs. Tracy Wagner, a SJHS counselor, shared that the students participating in the food program are very grateful. “We [should] live by and incorporate in our school setting the philosophy that we’re going to help take care of each other,” she said when discussing the importance of students helping other students. 

“We [should] live by and incorporate in our school setting the philosophy that we’re going to help take care of each other,” — Tracy Wagner

She predicts that this program will grow as the counselors identify more students who could benefit from supplemental food over the weekend. 

It’s important to recognize that each student is in a different financial and familial situation. Participating in this program is a great way to create a supportive school environment.