Category: News Room

East Texas schools tackle childhood hunger through backpack programs

Sabine ISD volunteer Misty Gee believes area school districts’ backpack programs help build relationships between families and schools.
“(Families) know that someone is looking out for them,” she said.

Districts, which rely on donations of money, food and more to operate the programs, are seeking community support as they begin to fill backpacks with food and other essential items for students to take home.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food insecurity is “the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.” More than 25 percent of children living in Gregg, Harrison, Rusk and Upshur counties live with food insecurity, according to the national nonprofit group Feeding America.
(Read more from Longview News Journal)

Hundreds of students give back during Tyler high school’s ‘Community Service Day’

Hundreds of students from Grace Community High School spent Thursday packing lunches, cleaning yards, and fulfilling a variety of other needs as part of the school’s yearly Community Service Day.

Every year, Grace students are divided into groups and sent to help nonprofits in whatever means possible.

“I see there are lots of needs that need to be met in our community,” said Sarabeth Wallace, junior and Lifegroup leader at GCHS. “It just feels good to be part of something that’s so important and is such a need here in Tyler.”
(Read more from KLTV 7)

SFA community nutrition students to lead Cooking Matters program

Representatives from the East Texas Food Bank in Tyler recently visited Stephen F. Austin State University to kick off a six-week Cooking Matters program in Nacogdoches.

This is the fourth year SFA’s School of Human Sciences has partnered with the food bank to provide this informative and interactive program to the community. Justin Pelham, food, nutrition and dietetics clinical instructor at SFA, is using this program as a class project to provide an opportunity for students to showcase their skills in a real-world setting.

“My intention for the SFA community nutrition course is providing real-world application to our students by plugging them in to relevant outreach events in East Texas,” Pelham said. “These opportunities enhance each student’s learning experience while working with underserved populations in our community, thus making a significant impact in the student’s lives well past their undergraduate years at SFA.”
(Read more from SFASU)

Lee, JT go head-to-head for annual Pantry Raid competition

Students at John Tyler and Robert E. Lee high schools are duking it out to see who can do the most good for their community during the 28th annual Pantry Raid competition.

Every year the schools go head-to-head to see who can collect the most nonperishable food items for the East Texas Food Bank.

Last year, Lee snapped John Tyler’s six-year winning streak, but the students at JT are determined to bring the trophy back home.
(Read more from Tyler Morning Telegraph)

High School Students Compete to Feed Hungry

The 28th annual Pantry Raid competition between Robert E. Lee and John Tyler High School students has kicked off.  The students at both Tyler ISD high schools have a friendly competition each year to help feed hungry East Texans.  Students are asking the community for their help by donating non-perishable food items or funds at the school of their choice. The food and funds the students collect will benefit hungry East Texans who turn to the East Texas Food Bank’s partnering food pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens for help.  The school that collects the most amount of food will earn bragging rights and proudly display the traveling trophy at their school for the year.

“The Pantry Raid is important because it helps feed the less fortunate, and is a good way to get our school involved in the community around us,” said Robert E. Lee Student Council President Maddie Bice.

“Hunger does not discriminate,” said John Tyler Student Council representative Chloe Durham.  “This cause matters to everyone…everywhere.”

Over the last 27 years, students have collected nearly 1,300,000 pounds of food combined, providing over 1,076,00 additional meals to children, families and seniors that the East Texas Food Bank serves.

“The Pantry Raid has become one of the most significant hunger relief efforts in our community,” said Dennis Cullinane, CEO of the East Texas Food Bank.  “We are truly grateful to the students for their incredible energy in producing these impressive food and cash contributions towards the fight against hunger in East Texas.”

Donations of non-perishable canned food items will be accepted at both high schools through Friday, September 7th.  You can also support either school by making a monetary donation online at EastTexasFoodBank.org/pantryraid.  The results will be announced during halftime at the Robert E. Lee and John Tyler football game on Saturday, September 8th.

Please contact the Tyler ISD Office of Communications at 903.262.1064 to make arrangements regarding Pantry Raid.  Media photo and video opportunities will be available on Friday, September   7th prior to 12pm.