Born and raised here in Seminole County, the public school system and the kids moving through it hold a special place in our hearts. When our own kids began attending school, we got involved with the PTA at Sterling Park Elementary and learned that they had a food pantry program that was helping a significant number of kids each year fill the hunger gap. Without school food pantry assistance, these kids run the risk of not eating between the end of school on Friday and the start of school on Monday. This is a side of Seminole County that we were unfamiliar with. Growing up, there were bumps in the road where a lot of spaghetti was eaten, but there was never a doubt in our minds that there would be food on the table that night. In our specific area, we were the unusual ones who weren’t just running to a restaurant when we needed a quick meal. It turns out that we were the average.

Over 50% of students in Seminole County are on free or reduced lunch. For over 50% of our school population, $2.50 per lunch is too much of a financial burden.

We began volunteering regularly with the food pantry program in early 2018. To take in donations, organize them, package them for delivery to students, delivery, and doing it all over again for the entire school year is a lot of work.  Sterling Park is extremely lucky to have the generous support of the community and their PTA to make it all happen. But what about the rest of the schools in the county? Many of the schools are used to having kids in need and manage to make ends meet. There are a few who only have a handful of kids in need and don’t have the ability to stock a pantry for them. How do we make sure that all of our public school students don’t have to worry about where their next meal comes from? That’s where we come in.