A Note From An Educator

I’m Anissa Holm, Co-Director of the West Johnston High School Food Pantry and the Library’s Media Coordinator. In the summertime, I always worry about my students who rely on the meals provided by the school. I wonder if they’ve eaten today. If they’re lucky enough to have had a meal, I worry about where their next meal will come from.

The summer is always difficult on those kids – but this summer is even more so.

Summer Arrived Sooner than Planned

Summer started much earlier this year. Not only were school programs put to a grinding stop, but many parents lost their jobs. Some are even forced to choose between keeping the lights on and putting food on the table for their families.

I am writing today to ask you to join the Food Bank in helping provide meals to these children who need them now more than ever before.

At West Johnston, we operate a student-led, service-based food pantry to assist families in our school’s local area. While we’ve been working without our student volunteers over the past few months due to the COVID-19 school closures, we’ve been getting by with the support of our community, including the Food Bank. They have ensured we can continue our mission of providing food to local families facing hunger.

One issue we consistently face is the reality of an increased need among our families when their children, and our students, are out of school. Since COVID-19 our small pantry alone is feeding approximately 50 families per week – a 40% increase from our usual number of families.

How You Can Help

Please consider making a gift today for the children, families, and seniors in our community who need it most. You can help make sure they all have something to eat tonight.

Sincerely,

Anissa Holm
Library Media Coordinator and Co-Director of West Johnston Food Pantry