North Port High School students do an exceptional job helping others

Every Tuesday at North Port High School, students and teachers who may be experiencing hunger are able to secure food from the well-stocked food pantry located there. All Faiths Food Bank supplies the food but it takes scores of student and staff volunteers to manage the pantry so that all in need may be served.

The grocery-style food pantry at North Port High first opened in 2016, with around 20 students and staff members handling necessary duties; that number has risen to around 80, including numerous students enrolled in the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) program. Not only do these students enjoy the many benefits of helping others, they also benefit from hands-on experience of supporting pantry operations.

“They do everything: they help me to make sure that we get the right food ordered for the week – whatever we need – we keep a list. They also help me unstack the pallets and we take those items and we stock all of our shelves here in the pantry. We also fill our freezers,” said Shannon Thornton McGuire, the Employee Transitional Trainer at North Port High. “They also come in the mornings and fill coolers for our staff members who are in need.”

There are many benefits of volunteering as a teen, including enhanced emotional well-being, increased confidence and self-esteem, the development of a sense of purpose and meaning, the release of “feel-good” hormones, and increased brain activity. Additionally, volunteering reduces isolation and encourages teamwork, which is essential in nearly any future career. Teens who volunteer earn better grades and build stronger resumes for college and scholarship and/or work applications.

“After we deliver a bin, it makes me feel happy that we can provide for kids that don't necessarily have the things they need,” said 16-year-old junior Riley Bauler.

Jamie Chavarria is a teacher in the ESE program. Her job is to prepare students for the real world by helping them develop necessary skills.

“They can put this on their resume and be able to get a job right after high school. For me, that's important,” she said. “How many other opportunities do kids get out there, being able to do the things that we do here while helping other people?”

North Port High is one of All Faiths Food Bank’s 20 Sarasota and DeSoto County school pantry sites. In the 2023-2024 school year, AFFB provided food for 8,603 individuals through school pantries.

“It’s so important to make sure that students have access to the food they need – and the need just keeps growing. We increased the number of school pantries from 14 in the last school year to 20 this year,” said AFFB President & CEO Nelle S. Miller. “The pantry at North Port High School has the added benefit of providing a beneficial opportunity for students enrolled in the Exceptional Student Education Program to enjoy hands-on experience while providing nutrition assistance for their friends, teachers and neighbors in need.”

“It helps so many people who are in need of food, which is so expensive,” said McGuire. “In this area, we have a lot of families who need these services.”

For more about All Faiths Food Bank, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org.

About All Faiths Food Bank
All Faiths Food Bank is the only food bank and largest hunger relief organization in Sarasota and DeSoto counties, providing millions of meals each year in collaboration with more than 300 agencies and programs throughout the community. All Faiths works not only to end hunger today, but also strives to end hunger – forever – by helping families and individuals gain long-term food security, enjoy better health outcomes and achieve self-sufficiency. All Faiths is rated four stars by Charity Navigator and is a partner of the Feeding America and Feeding Florida networks. For more information, visit allfaithsfoodbank.org.