Photo courtesy of Washington Chamber of Commerce

The Kindness Closet and food pantry at the Washington Middle School received a donation right before the holidays. The Leadership Washington class through the Washington Chamber of Commerce toured the school district in November, including the middle school food pantry. At their December meeting, the Leadership Washington class collected $270 in donations and gave it to the middle school pantry.

Middle School Counselor Emily Miller says having the food pantry helps students, “They’re great life skills, you know unfortunately some of our students have to grow up a lot quicker than we would hope that they would. But you know they really take it upon themselves to ask for food when they need it and they know that sometimes their situation isn’t in their hands. And so, being able to advocate for themselves and reach out to trusted adults that can help them, and then being able to provide for themselves –cook meals, read recipes, all of those things are needed at all age levels. So it’s really great that our kids are getting those skills and able to provide for themselves so they don’t feel like they are alone in some hard times.”

There are also bags of food sent home with students over the weekends. Miller says some of the best donations are snacks and meals that are easy for kids to prepare themselves. Food and monetary donations can be given at the school offices in the Washington District.