School Pantry Program

The School Pantry Program is designed to alleviate child hunger through the provision of food to children, their families, and the immediate school community. Our mobile markets, located at seven area middle schools, are intended to provide a more readily accessible source of food assistance to low-income students and their families. These markets have proven to provide greater assistance than the BackPack program, at an equal or lower cost. School Pantries serve entire families and increase the amount of fresh food and protein entering homes.

This school year we are partnering with Lorain City School District, Clearview Local Schools, Elyria City School District, Wellington Exempted Village Schools, and Midview Local School District. Second Harvest constructs an order and our volunteers pack boxes filled with 30-40 lbs. of shelf stable foods. On the day of distribution, our truck brings those boxes, plus an array of fresh produce, bread, protein, and dairy items to the school where it is distributed by school staff and volunteers to families of students and others in the community. Other activities and resources can be added to the pantry distribution as the school finds appropriate.