Share Your Christmas: Program at Brevard County high school helping feed students

COMMUNITIES IS THAT THE FACE OF HUNGER IS OFTEN A CHILD’S. BUT WITH THE HELP OF SECOND HARVEST, FOOD BANK SCHOOLS ARE CREATING WAYS FOR STUDENTS TO BE FUELED FOR LEARNING. THIS IS ALL PART OF A SPECIAL INITIATIVE. THE SCHOOL MARKET PROGRAM. WE WERE INVITED TO SEE THE ONE AT SPACE COAST JUNIOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN COCOA. SO THIS IS OUR VIPER NATION SUPPLY STATION BECAUSE OUR MASCOT IS A VIPER OPEN EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY BETWEEN ALL THREE LUNCHES. HEY, THERE’S LIKE A LINE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE STAGE JUST FOR THIS STORE. WE GOT A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY. WE GOT PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES AND CUPCAKES. EVERYBODY GETS SO EXCITED WHEN THE STORE IS OPEN BECAUSE, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE ALL OF THESE DELICIOUS TREATS IN HERE. THIS USED TO BE JUST A STORAGE ROOM, BUT MISS WEEKS HAD IT IN HER HEART TO CHANGE IT INTO A PLACE WHERE STUDENTS COULD COME TO GET CANNED GOODS OR SNACKS. AND IT’S JUST KIND OF BLOSSOMED INTO THIS REALLY MUCH BIGGER THING. THE KID CAN COME IN HERE AND JUST GET A DONUT WHILE OTHER KIDS CAN COME IN AND GET A DONUT AND SHOP. AND NO ONE’S THINKING, WHY IS THE STUDENT IN HERE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER? WE DO HAVE STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOL THAT HAVE MAJOR FOOD INSECURITIES AND THEY’RE REALLY GOOD AT HIDING IT. AND SO BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEM AND LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEY CAN COME TO YOU FOR ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING IS REALLY IMPORTANT. COULD YOU MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE SCHOOL SUPPLIES ARE THERE STOCKED UP? WE TRY TO STRAIGHTEN EVERYTHING OUT, MAKE IT LOOK PRESENTABLE, MAKE SURE LIKE THINGS ARE OPEN, LIKE FOOD PACKAGING FOR LIKE DONUTS AND STUFF. I DID KNOW THAT THERE WAS A NEED. DIDN’T REALIZE IT AS MUCH UNTIL I STARTED WORKING HERE. NINE YEARS AGO. AND DID NOT REALIZE HOW MANY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE IN TRANSITION. HAVING TO WORRY AND THINK ALL THE TIME ABOUT WHEN THEIR NEXT MEAL IS GOING TO BE OR THAT THEY’RE HUNGRY JUST DOESN’T AFFECT THEIR EDUCATION. IT AFFECTS EVERYTHING. IT’S SO HARD TO FOCUS WHEN YOU’RE HUNGRY. I MEAN, YOUR STOMACH IS GRUMBLING AND IT’S ALSO JUST REALLY DIFFICULT BECAUSE YOUR BRAIN STARTS GETTING ALL CLOUDY AND YOU’RE JUST THINKING ABOUT FOOD AND NOT ABOUT YOUR ALGEBRA HOMEWORK, WHICH IS KIND OF A PROBLEM. AND THERE’S ALREADY SO MANY TRIBULATIONS OF HIGH SCHOOL THAT WHEN YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE THE BARE NECESSITY, I MEAN, HOW ARE YOU EXPECTED TO EXCEL IN YOUR CLASSES? THIS STORE BRINGS THEM CONFIDENCE IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. SO I COULDN’T BELIEVE HOW EASY SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK MADE IT. THEY HAVE MADE THIS ALL POSSIBLE. THIS STORE WOULD NOT BE HERE. THESE STUDENTS WOULD NOT GET WHAT THEY’RE RECEIVING FROM THIS AMAZING STORE THAT IS ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THEM. I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO HELP PEOPLE IN ANY WAY I CAN, AND WITH THIS STORE, I’M HELPING PEOPLE. I DON’T EVEN KNOW. IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I HAVE A PURPOS