Over 40 Baldwin County High School students are lending a hand this holiday season by helping to collect and sort food donations for the North Baldwin Ecumenical food pantry.
Caroline Valentino, health teacher, said community service has always been a passion project of hers, and she tries to enlist the help of her students if possible.

"Every year, during Thanksgiving and Christmas, we try to do a community service project based on what the community needs," Valentino said. "For the past four weeks, students have brought holiday food donations to class and we will give them to our social workers to take to the food pantry."
Valentino said that in addition to serving the community, the project is an opportunity for her students to learn the value of giving to others.

"Some of the students have to understand that not everyone doesn't have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, and you never know what someone is going through," Valentino said. "Not everyone is forthcoming if they are struggling, it may even be their classmate and they would never know."

Valentino said that another bonus of the project is the ability to help provide food for families who may be struggling, but don't meet the criteria to qualify for food stamps.

"The cost of living has become outrageous and when I go to the grocery store, a couple bags of food is easily over $100," Valentino said. "Many families may not meet the food stamp criteria, so this is the their only hope to get the food they need."

However, Valentino said that she would be unable to participate in the project if it weren't for the help of several key contributors at the school.

"I can't take full credit, if it weren't for our social worker, Donna Johnson and our librarian, Kristy Weatherford spearheading the campaign and getting in contact with the local food pantries we would have no idea where to donate the food," Valentino said. "I think it's important for our students to be thankful for what they have, because you never know what can happen and they may even be the ones to need help someday."

According to a social media statement from Baldwin County High School, the food pantry is still in need of donations before the holiday, and volunteers at the pantry on Dec. 14 and 19 to distribute food. For more information, email kweatherford@bcbe.org.