Education on an empty stomach? Not around here

Hunger can hit every demographic here in Hamilton County. We routinely see neighbors from across the socioeconomic spectrum at pantries, drive-through food pick-ups, and even at our in-office food pick-ups.

One of the nasty things about hunger is that it can come from nowhere. Some tragedy hits, or a job loss or an illness, and all of the sudden you find yourself in need. Often, it’s a need that’s new to these neighbors. They don’t know what to do, what to expect, or how to begin to seek help.

In this column we want to touch on a subset of those amongst us. Young adults within the working poor who are working hard to get to a good life. I’m talking about “The Crossing” High School inside of Gaylor Electric (crossingeducation.com). This is a special school for kids that need alternatives to finish high school and maybe learn a trade. The students experience an innovative path to graduation. By pairing classroom learning with real-world experience alongside Gaylor Electric staff, students acquire essential, hands-on business, and technical skills.

 

In partnering with Gaylor over the years, we have watched this school grow from idea to reality. We also saw young adults trying to make a life for themselves, trying to do what is right, trying to get on the right future path. We saw these folks struggle to get by. Many of these students are living on their own, some come from very tough backgrounds, some are even parents, but many have limited means. It was a perfect place for a Feeding Team pantry.

When we recognized the opportunity to make a positive difference in these kids’ lives, we went to get permission to drop pantry number 82 inside their high school inside the Gaylor Electric property. After a few conversations, the pantry was deployed.

Now, kids who were skipping meals or slamming ramen once a day now have non-perishable meals available to them and their families. Instructors that were bringing supplemental food for the kids can now breathe easier and students can focus on academics.

This isn’t a typical Feeding Team pantry location. We look for high-visibility locations near areas where gap families reside or congregate. As a reminder, gap families are those with four or more mouths to feed in the family with a household income above poverty levels and beneath approximately $50,000 annually. This location stood out to us because of the situation and the opportunity to be a part of supporting success in these families’ lives.

Major hat tip to our maintenance team for refurbishing an older pantry and making it work for this deployment. It took Jim almost two full days in some blistering heat to rebuild a pantry that would fit and work well indoors. A second tip of the hat goes to the logistics and transport team at Gaylor. Aaron, Rudy, Big Rick, and the rest of their team move mountains to get pantries from point A to B. Thank you all.

About FeedingTeam.org
More than 44,000 people in Hamilton County struggle with food needs. FeedingTeam.org is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that offers outdoor, no-questions-asked food pantries that are open 24/7, all year long. These pantries help families who may not qualify for other programs but still need a few meals to get by.

We are so thankful for all the volunteers, hosts, donors, and sponsors who help us every day. We love serving our neighbors and seeing how your generosity changes lives. Hunger doesn’t always look the way people think it does, and every meal makes a big difference.

A simple can of food can mean everything to a parent who has nothing left to feed their kids. A few meals can change someone’s life.

If you’d like to help, there are many volunteer opportunities. We are also looking for new spots for future pantries. If you know a good location, please contact us.

Mark and Lisa Hall are the Founders of Feeding Team. They may be reached at lisa@feedingteam.org and mark@feedingteam.org or by calling (317) 832-1123.