You’ve likely heard of United Way’s Weekend SnackPack program for elementary school students. Now, the Anderson County nonprofit organization has launched Middle School Market, a new program to help combat child hunger in middle schools across the county.
The new program will establish mini food pantries in 10 middle schools in Anderson County School Districts 1-5, offering free groceries such as peanut butter, jelly, cereal, oatmeal, pop tarts, mac and cheese and more, according to Liz Brock, United Way’s Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships.
“We’ve had so many requests for a food assistance program in our middle schools,” Brock said. “We know that if Mary in second grade is going hungry on the weekends, so is Johnny in eighth grade.”
Brock said United Way of Anderson County secured a grant to start the program and it is looking for donations of food and funds to sustain it. Needed items are peanut butter, jelly, cereal, oatmeal, pop tarts, mac and cheese, SpaghettiOs, apple sauce and crackers.
Food insecurity was growing rapidly among children in the U.S. prior to COVID-19, with the pandemic drastically decreasing the ability of many children and their families to access food, according to Carol Burdette, Executive Director of United Way of Anderson County.
“Many children were already living in households suffering from food insecurity, and today, numbers are estimated to have increased to 1 in 4,” Burdette said. “Food insecurity has a domino effect on the overall well-being of children and their families. It affects educational outcomes and the future success a child may hope to achieve.”
For more information on Middle School Market, or to donate food or funds, please contact Liz Brock at 864-226-3438 or Liz.Brock@uwandersoncty.com.
