The Weakley County Schools Food Pantry is again open for the school year to provide food at no charge for families of students and staff who need it.
Established in 2020 as an expansion of the Backpack Program, the Pantry is open during the school year to ensure that food is on the table for the families of students and staff. The food is supplied through Second Harvest Food Bank, and any family with children in school is eligible to receive food.
The Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee currently delivers a shipment of food each month during the school year. Common items received include pasta, tomato sauce, rice, oats, cereal bars, canned vegetables and fruit, and canned chicken and tuna.
Kathy Dodson, Coordinated School Health Assistant, noted that availability is open to staff families as well as student families.
Recipients’ names are kept confidential, but the number of people who live in the household is needed to pack an appropriate amount of food.
The Coordinated School Health team aims to make it easy to get food in the hands of the people who need it.
“Food can be picked up with children in the car line, or we can work with parents to send some lighter items home with children on the school bus if needed. It’s important that the process is easy for families.”
Food can also be picked up Monday through Friday from 8AM-4PM inside the Weakley County Personal Development Center at 8250 Highway 22 in Dresden. For assistance or more information, reach out to Coordinated School Health at (731) 364-9945.