Snacks for Homeless Students

Our club helps provide snacks for the hungry homeless students of Pike Township through their district food pantry. We collect both non-perishable food items and monetary gifts used to purchase items for the pantry. Each week the Club’s newsletter contains a shopping list to take with members to the grocers or big box stores. We ask Kiwanians to keep in mind that prepackaged snacks are easier for the kids to eat on the run. While we should focus on healthy snacks, food is food when your stomach is empty. Some of the kids get on the bus at 6:30 AM and do not get home until after 5 PM. This makes for a long day and we make a difference in their ability to learn! When we started this project a decade ago, there were over 160 homeless students at Pike High School, and numerous more throughout the district. The homeless include anyone who does not have a permanent home, such as sofa-surfers, and teens living in extended stay hotels. Unfortunately, these numbers continue to grow, during and following the pandemic the Pike Schools Food Pantry have expanded support beyond the student to helping their neighbors as well.