Members of the P.A. Kinsmen Club donated food to Carlton Comprehensive High School Wednesday for the pantry (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Feeding the future

Program feeding hungry kids at Carlton

Mar 28, 2019 | 10:04 AM

A new program at Carlton Comprehensive Public High School is working to make sure the school’s students aren’t learning on an empty stomach.

The Carlton pantry program provides students who are in need with food or clothing. The initiative has been going since the fall. Brad Amy, who is a teacher at the school explained how the project got started.

“Lori Amy, that’s my wife, she works in independent futures here and works with a lot of at-risk high needs students, and she indicated a lot of them are coming to school hungry,” he said.

When the initiative got going, it relied on donations from teachers and students at the school who helped out by donating items like clothes and food. Amy said making sure that kids are fed is important to the learning process.

Riderville

Time to Exorcise Some Demons

4h ago

bravery

Sucker River woman called a true hero after rescuing boy from drowning

4h ago

Court proceedings

Not guilty pleas in Prince Albert bar brawl case

5h ago

“Kids that don’t eat, it’s proven through research they just don’t do well at school,” he said.

Wes Moore and Christopher Szeszorak with the Prince Albert Kinsmen Club unload food Wednesday afternoon at Carlton Comprehensive Public High School. (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

When the pantry initiative kicked off, Amy said they got staff donations and contributions from students. Amy added the support the initiative has been getting from students has been nice to see.

“A girl at our school, who’s a girl guide, she donated out of her own money, a case of girl guide cookies,” he said.

On Wednesday afternoon, Amy and the Prince Albert Kinsmen Club were able to further help out the effort by donating $2,000 worth of food to the school’s pantry.

“The mandate of our club is serving our community’s greatest needs and hunger issues are not going away,” he said.

Jeff Court, principal at Carlton Comprehensive, said in the short time it has been going, the pantry has been popular.

“It is a hub of activity both in the giving and receiving side and so it’s just another one of those things where we’re trying to make sure our kids have the needs that they need to learn,” he said.

Besides being well supported, the principal said they have noticed some changes in students who use the program, including better attendance at school. Court said this is important for the education process.

“We want to educate our kids, but we know they have needs to meet as well,” he said.

–

MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn