Gwen Lenz paid a visit to the After School Lounge recently to share information about the Cook County Food Shelf, and she brought along a box of food that is typically given to a family of four Students learned that approximately 120 households use the Grand Marais food shelf each month
Students from the After School Lounge program at Cook County Schools are partnering with the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign to restock the local food shelf and they are asking for your help.
As part of an ongoing service learning project, more than a dozen students in grades three to six have been spending some of their after-school hours learning about and discussing poverty and hunger. They have bagged groceries at the food shelf, learned how to cook tasty meals using basic food shelf ingredients, and are busy making fleece blankets to distribute to food shelf clients.
“These kids are learning that they really can make a difference in their community, and they’re enthusiastic about helping others,” said Clara Weitz, one of three AmeriCorps members overseeing the activities.
The final phase of their project is to engage the larger community in collecting non-perishable food items, which will be donated to the Grand Marais food shelf.
Collection boxes will be out March 14 -25 in the Sawtooth Elementary School office, high school office, Cook County Community Center, Gene’s Foods, Johnson’s Foods, and the Cook County Whole Foods Co-op.
According to volunteer Gwen Lenz, the food shelf is particularly in need of the following items this month: cold cereal, hot cocoa, canned vegetables like carrots, peas, and beets, canned or packaged potatoes, canned tomatoes, and small desserts such as two-packs of cupcakes, small packages of cookies, pudding and Jell-o.
All donations are welcome and greatly appreciated! Minnesota FoodShare’s March Campaign raises more than half the food distributed annually through 300 food shelves across the state. The local Youth Food Drive and service learning project are coordinated by AmeriCorps members Katy Campbell, Kaitlin Erpestad and Clara Weitz.
If you would prefer to make a cash donation, checks made out to the Food Shelf can be mailed to Katy Campbell, c/o After School Lounge, Cook County Schools, 101 W. 5th Street, Grand Marais, MN 55604.
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