TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A new ‘Help Shelf’ is now open at Sabal Palm Elementary.
It’s full of food and hygiene products that are free for anyone who needs them.
The shelf was built by a local nonprofit called The Humanists of Tallahassee and made possible through $500 of grant money.
It’s just one of several initiatives to combat food insecurity in this area.
Just a few weeks ago, Sabal Palm Elementary, a Community Partnership School, set up food lockers through a partnership with Second Harvest.
In order to request a box of food, you have to call the school and then pick it up.
But for the new ‘Help Shelf,’ you can just grab it and go.
It has not just food, but also toothbrushes, deodorant, and period products.
Sabal Palm Elementary Principal Shannon Davis says she’s excited to see the impact this will have on families.
“They can come on their way home or as they’re walking their student home, and they can grab something, and it can be part of dinner or even just a snack,” Davis said. “That’s something that is already taken care of for them. And they don’t have to have that stress of worrying about getting food elsewhere and having to pay for it.”
The Humanists of Tallahassee say they have continuous grant money coming in, which they’ll use to restock the pantry.
This is especially important for Sabal Palm because it’s located in the poorest zip code in Florida.
Davis says 96% of families at the school fall below the poverty line.
The Community Partnership Schools model at Sabal Palm is a partnership between the Children’s Home Society of Florida, Leon County Schools, FAMU, and FSU Primary Health.
By: Savannah Kelley
Originally posted by WCTV