The piles of food at Bolton High School may look like a survivalist’s dream stash, but the items have a nobler purpose.
Annually, Bolton High students gather items such as canned goods, noodles, chicken, vegetables, and peanut butter for the Mid-South Food Bank.
The food bank also provides paper and plastic products like toilet paper, aluminum foil, diapers, and napkins.
Food bank recipients are Memphis-area people who have chronic or emergency food shortages.
Classes, groups, and the school as a whole take part. Participants include a chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS), the Family Community Career Leadership Association (FCCLA), the Inter-national Baccalaureate (IB) program, and other service-based clubs and organizations.
Food bank sponsor Becky Baker, a Bolton guidance couselor, said, “My favorite part of the food bank is seeing students get excited about helping others and making a difference. More than 45 million people are living below poverty level, and we served 400 to 500 people.”
Baker said the recipient families are treated with respect and dignity, because it’s humbling to have to ask for help.
What to donate
NHS officers Dylan Ortiz and Jeremy Fuller listed what’s currently overstocked and what donations are needed for the food bank.
- Overstocked: Canned corn, green beans, and peas.
- Needed: Complete meals in a can, such as ravioli and soups.
Written by Erica Lofton, special to The Bartlett Express.
