Ralston Middle School opens school pantry to fight food insecurity for students and families

A new school pantry has opened at Ralston Middle School, giving students and their families easier access to food assistance in a district where more than 60% of students qualify for free and reduced lunch.

The pantry functions much like a food bank but is housed on the second floor of Ralston Middle School, making it easier for students to get food for themselves and their families. It is also designed to remove barriers that a lack of transportation can create when accessing food.

Food Bank for the Heartland CEO Tresha Rodgers said the location is central to the program's mission.

"This program will help reduce transportation barriers it eliminates stigma, thereby improving the well being and stability of Heartland families," Rodgers said.

The pantry is the first in a pilot program Food Bank for the Heartland is launching to tackle childhood hunger in the metro.

According to data from the Nebraska Department of Education, the Ralston School District has had between 10 and 15% more students qualify for free and reduced lunch than the statewide average for the past 5 years. That is part of the reason the school was chosen to open a pantry.

Ralston Schools Superintendent Jason Buckingham said rising costs have contributed to growing food insecurity among families in the district.

"Everything seems like it costs more, whether it's food, fuel or whether it's insurance...everything really seems like it's gone up in the last six to eight months. So there has been an increase in families who have found themselves to be food insecure," Buckingham said.

Buckingham also said the pantry will address a specific gap in food assistance at the district's only middle school.

"We had a food pantry we ran at the high school level where kids could get food on Friday afternoons...but we had a hole at the middle school level," Buckingham said.

Food Bank for the Heartland said it aims to open several other school pantries before the end of the year.

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