Guthrie High School Food Pantry Battles Weekend Hunger

Two-thirds of students at Guthrie High School receive free lunch. And like a lot of young Oklahomans, many go home and have nothing to eat until they return the next day. So the school created a food pantry to make sure no one goes hungry on the weekend.

Tucked away in a small room inside Guthrie High School are shelves stocked with food. There's macaroni and cheese, ramen noodles, and the fixings to make a PB&J.

“We knew that in order to educate students we have to meet their basic needs and if they come to school hungry then it's very difficult to give them a quality education,” said Chris Legrande, Guthrie High School principal.

The idea for a food pantry, specifically for students, came from the school's secretary and for now is funded through a grant. A similar program is in place at the junior high. And now 8th graders transiting to high school continue to get the food and support they need.

Every Friday afternoon about 30 students are quietly pulled into this room and they fill their backpacks with six meals.

“You can just tell when they come in on Fridays to receive their food you can just sense it in their body language and their expressions and their happiness,” said Legrande.

LeGrande say this is also a teaching moment for these students as well, helping them to learn about meal planning and portioning meals to make them last.

Right now only 30 student students utilize the pantry, but LeGrande knows it can help more of his students.

“Sometimes it's a matter of pride with these kids. They don't want to be embarrassed, so we try to be a discrete as possible,” said Legrande.

The high school is accepting donations whether it's non-perishable food or even a monetary donation. If you are interested in donating contact Jessice Eaves at the high school (405) 282-8900.