WTN Girls C.A.N. Give Back: Marblehead Food Pantry Collection

This WELLcommunity Spotlight highlights a deserving group of Marblehead students. Last Monday, twenty girls from the Glover and Village Schools made a notable contribution to the Marblehead Food Pantry as part of a community service project through Well Together Now.

The WTN Girls C.A.N. enrichment program fosters wellness through Confidence, Activity, and Nutrition. A component of the curriculum focuses on connectedness as a facet of wellness. Each 8-week session includes an element of giving back through a local charity to reinforce a sense of belonging and responsibility to the community.

Our Girls C.A.N. Give Back project was introduced halfway through the Fall session. First, the girls learned about food insecurity.

Together, we answered the question: What does it mean to be hungry? We also watched videos of other children responding to this prompt. Next, we discussed what we could do to support families in our community and turned our focus to the Marblehead Food Pantry. The group was eager to help address this need.

As the weeks passed, students continued the worthy work of contributing to the project. They were enthusiastic and happy to share progress with peers and coaches along the way.

WTN coaches arranged for a specific appointment on November 18th for our group to visit the pantry and drop off donations.

Exuberance filled the room at arrival on the day of the drop. To debrief, we spent part of the afternoon sharing stories about this experience. Throughout our discussion, all hands were up, and positive energy flowed. Some read entries from their CAN Journals. Others were proud to tell about earning their contribution through extra chores. Another student showed impressive ambition beyond the chore list. She explained, ” I knocked on neighbors’ doors to tell about this project and ask for their help. I had so much food that I filled three bags!”

Following dismissal, families were invited to meet at the food pantry site for the official drop off. Janet, director of the pantry, offered us a tour, highlighting where their collections would land and how this helps the local community. She was impressed with the amount of food collected by our group and grateful to have their support. This visit was a fantastic finale to a meaningful effort.

The Girls C.A.N. coaches are proud to shine the spotlight on this amazing group and their special achievement. Additional thanks to the families for their assistance and encouragement throughout the project. Together, we experienced how girls CAN help to grow a WELLcommunity.