LYNN — A Stop & Shop-funded food pantry at Washington S.T.E.M. Elementary School is aimed at eliminating hunger among its students.
The New England grocery giant, which has more than 400 stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island, has donated $10,000 to launch a school food pantry at Washington S.T.E.M., which opened last Wednesday.
“The school was identified as a high need,” said Jennifer Brogan, a Stop & Shop spokeswoman. “The whole emphasis behind the school pantry program is to reduce food insecurity, specifically among students. We want them to be able to perform their best and no student should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.”
About 150 families of the school’s approximately 500 students made use of the free pantry on its first day, which will be open bi-weekly on Wednesdays from 2-4 p.m.
The large turnout on the first day, which was celebrated with a ribbon cutting inside the K-5 school that was attended by Mayor Thomas M. McGee, state Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn), Principal Anthony Frye and store officials, reflected why Washington was the Lynn school selected by the grocer.
“We know that some of our parents have challenges financially,” Frye said. “If this is something we can do, why don’t we do it? We know at the end of the whole thing, it will positively impact (our students’) educational experience here at Washington S.T.E.M.”
According to statistics from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 65.8 percent, or 308 of the school’s students were classified as economically disadvantaged, or low-income, in 2017.
Fully funded by Stop & Shop as part of its new program and supported by a food drive at Lynn’s local store, the pantry at Washington S.T.E.M. is unique because it offers foods the school has tailored to its community’s needs.
For instance, for the launch, the grocery store provided the $10,000 donation in gift cards, which the school used to purchase the food. Washington S.T.E.M. families can choose from items such as vegetables, fruit, beans, rice, pasta, sauce, and fresh produce, such as plantains, potatoes and onions. Offerings will also change around the holidays, according to Frye.
The food bank, which may eventually be available to the entire community, is part of the Washington’s S.T.E.M. administration’s efforts to create a community school, which has already included the establishment of a school-based health center, Frye said.
“What else can we provide our families in allowing our students to succeed?” Frye said. “If hunger is a part of that, we should do something about that. If health concerns are impeding success, (we) should do something about it. It’s about creating a community school that serves our community above and beyond the academics.”
The pantry’s launch was a three-year effort, which started with Stop & Shop reaching out to Lynn Public Schools administration about its desire to partner with the elementary school to eradicate its student hunger issues, Frye said.
Despite substantial work undertaken by school staff that year, plans for the pantry never came to fruition, but the effort was kickstarted again over the summer, said Frye, who credited the school’s social worker, Brittany Hockman for taking the lead on the project.
“Our goal is to feed as many families as needed,” Frye said.
Besides Lynn, Stop & Shop has school food pantries in Massachusetts at Springfield Technical Community College, and is working to open one in the Fall River Public Schools.
The program builds upon the school district’s effort to ensure no kids go hungry. Last year, Lynn Public Schools started offering free breakfast and lunch to all of its students, regardless of income status.
