No Child Goes Hungry is pleased to support the efforts of Britepaths and its Food4Thought program with a $1000 grant. The funds will be used to support Britepaths’ recent collaboration with Fairfax High School and Virginia non-profits A Place to Stand and Food for Others to support the school’s new student pantry, A Place to Eat. The pantry opened on January 16, and it allows students in need to pick up food and supplies to ensure that they have the support they need if their families are struggling. The students who need food assistance might be receiving free or reduced-price meals or their families may be in crisis for other reasons, such as job loss, lack of affordable housing, or health problems.
Like many weekend food and backpack programs, Britepaths’ Food4Thought initiative started as a resource for local elementary schools. In recent years, Middle and High School staff and volunteers have come to Britepaths looking for solutions for students in need at their schools as well. Of its 20 Fairfax County Public School partners, Britepaths now supports eight Middle and High Schools.
Britepaths has furthered its expansion of upper-grade partners in part through a generous 2019 grant from the TEGNA Foundation and WUSA9. Through a grant from Fairfax County, Britepaths partners with Food for Others to assist as many students in need as possible. Food for Others primarily focuses on providing weekend food packs to Title I Elementary Schools. At the same time, Britepaths offers support and some funding as needed to elementary, middle, and high schools that are marshaling staff, volunteer, and community resources to assist their students in the ways that work best for them.
“Britepaths is a long-standing partner of ours in our shared mission to support those in need in our community and ensure that no child goes to bed hungry,” said NCGH Director Kären Rasmussen. Rasmussen joined Fairfax High School Principal Erin Lenart, Britepaths Programs Director Christina Garris, Nikki Clifford of Food for Others, and Katy Malesky of A Place to Stand on January 23 to present the donation.
Britepaths will use the funds to provide grocery store gift cards to Fairfax High School to help it stock its new pantry.
Rasmussen adds, “We hope that Fairfax High School’s efforts will inspire other school leaders and students to get involved in their community’s efforts to end hunger and create similar programs to support their fellow students. Let’s feed some kids.”
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