Food pantry to open at PCMS ahead of 2023-24 school year

Come fall, Allison Silverman’s classroom at Port Chester Middle School will be transformed from a simple learning space into a food pantry serving dairy, produce, frozen foods, nonperishables and kid-friendly nonfood items like toys, winter clothing, backpacks and school supplies.

The school district, with the aid of the Family and Consumer Science teacher, has partnered with Feeding Westchester for the past year to provide monthly food distribution events at the middle school. The new food pantry will be “an extension of the mobile outdoor food pantry,” said Superintendent Dr. Aurelia Henriquez, and is a reflection of the district’s community engagement plan designed to tailor to student and community needs between the monthly distributions.

“It’s a way that we can remove stigmas associated with food nutrition and insecurity,” she said. “It’s part of our goal to meet our students and our families where they are at.”

“We’re definitely removing any sort of stigma about our food pantry by putting it in the classroom,” Silverman added. “We’re working on creating a vibe in that food pantry that is going to feel like you’re at a supermarket.”

The space will feature educational resources created by students, and any students who volunteer in the space will learn useful skills they can take with them into their first jobs when they get to high school, she said.

The district is working on creating ads, logos and sellable merchandise for the pantry, Silverman said, which will help promote it to the community, specifically parents.

Resources like food and supplies are being funded by a grant from Feeding Westchester, according to Henriquez. And when the district needs to replenish its goods, it will be able to order various food items through a Feeding Westchester shopping portal, she said.

Eventually, Henriquez hopes to incorporate a home delivery system, which is something she said other districts who also partner with Feeding Westchester offer to their community members.

But for now, the district will focus on getting the pantry up and running. The goal is to have it operational by September, Silverman said.

“We’re really thankful to have so many partners in the community who want to help. This is the result of a community effort,” Henriquez said. “I am very proud of the work that we’re doing in this area.”