During winter break, food insecurity is an issue that, unfortunately, some local families have to deal with.
To hopefully offer some relief to those in need, Putnam County High School (PCHS) teacher Rebekah Esau and her Service Leadership class hosted Soup for the Soul, a hot meal and food distribution event on Dec. 29 in the Putnam County Elementary School lunchroom.
“The kids learn collaboration, decision-making, and communication skills, as well as how to help their community,” Esau said of the project.
To prepare, the students analyzed data, both local and state, regarding food insecurity. They found there was a significant number of individuals and families in need within the community and realized without the two meals a day the Putnam County Charter School System (PCCSS) provides to thousands of children, that some may face serious challenges in eating regularly over the break.
“We saw there was a struggle with food distribution in the community and we decided to come up with something that was giving,” student Jonquail Coats said. “We also wanted to offer desserts, hot cocoa, and coffee to make this more special.”
This inspired the class to host Soup for the Soul during winter break, between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The students used cash winnings from their Service Leadership class placing first in the recent Eatonton Main Street Scarecrow Contest to buy ingredients, desserts, and drinks for the hot meal.
They also collected simple-to-make, microwavable foods during the final two weeks of the semester to create food take-home bags. Overall, the class obtained more than 1,000 easily prepared meals for distribution at Soup for the Soul, intending to feed as many as 200 guests.
Jonquail also discussed the food distribution aspect of the event.
“We asked for donations of ‘just-add-water’ meals and people from the high school donated them so we could give back to the community,” he said. “It’s a really good feeling, knowing that you’re doing something for others, something for the community, and something helpful.”
PCHS Service Leadership classmate Cilli Stanley agreed. “It’s fun. I like helping people, it makes you feel good,” Cilli said.
Lakeside Church and PCCSS board member Carolann Guthrie worked to get all the necessary paper products donated, including cups and plates. Mary Farmer of Life Source handed out informational flyers at their December food distribution event to spread the word about Soup for the Soul.
“Being a part of this class, I have been able to see firsthand the problems that our community faces,” PCHS student Vianney Martinez said. “Being able to do this, even if it’s a short-term solution, is heartwarming. Before this, I didn’t know the county had food insecurity problems, so doing this has opened my eyes.
“I worked on the budget for this project, and we had to stretch it out so we could get as much food as we could,” Vianney continued. “Thinking about how families with less have to stretch their budget as well made me realize what a problem food insecurity can be.”
Many Putnam County families came to the Soup for the Soul hot meal and were grateful for the added food distribution event, while the Service Leadership students were happy to make a positive impact in the community with the resources available to them, especially during the holiday season.