Stafford County Public Schools continued its efforts to combat food insecurity in the school system. Recently, Stafford High School government classes joined forces in a collaborative service learning project made possible through the allocation of a $17,000 grant provided by Giant Food’s Nourishing Our Youth Round Up Program.
Students used the grant funds to purchase 9,350 pantry staple items and package spring break meal kits for families facing food insecurity in the school system. As an integral part of the project, students researched the prevalence of food insecurity in our area, concurrently orchestrating the logistics for the efficient packing of the meal boxes. A total of 27 schools participated in the initiative, collectively requesting 385 meal kits. Within 2.5 hours, the dedicated students constructed, packed, sealed, and loaded all 385 boxes, ready for distribution to the participating schools. 
“At Stafford High School, TRIBE stands for Trust, Respect, Integrity, Betterment, and Effort. We are proud of our school culture and we strive to apply these principles in connecting with our community,” said Chelsea Tryon, Stafford HS Principal. “This project was a clear demonstration of our commitment to these principles, and to our combined efforts as a community to ‘Elevate Stafford.’ I am so proud of our students each and every day.”
Community partners Cornerstone Moving & Storage and Hilldrup Moving & Storage provided the boxes to package the meal kits. This is the second year the school division has used the grant to provide Spring Break meal kits. Last year, Giant awarded Stafford Schools $26,413. Students prepared 400 meal kits, provided to families facing food insecurity.
