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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016
Stockton High School Servant Leadership sets the table for student nutrition By Tony Carton Editor
STOCKTON — Upon recognizing a direct link between nutrition and academic performance, members of the Highland Community College Servant Leadership-Stockton Chapter devised and implemented a program that supplies fellow students with supplementary meals and snacks to carry them through the weekend, back to school and ready to learn on Monday morning. The kids dubbed their project Stockton Nutritional Outreach Works or SNOW and it provides the elements of a healthy diet for any student in the Stockton School District, so that depending on availability, a participating student may receive anything from the ingredients necessary for the creation of wholesome casseroles to cans of soup to fresh produce to cereals to protein bars and more. Stockton High School Servant Leadership co-mentor Laurie Zueger said they originally tried to begin the program a year ago, but met with resistance. “It didn’t fly and there were just too many obstacles,” Zueger said. “We still don’t have all the wrinkles ironed out. It’s a learning process, but we’ve got a lot of people behind us now.” Stockton Police Officer Don Powers was at a recent Servant Leadership meeting to present a check in support of SNOW. “When the project first started my daughter had to run down to the food pantry and I helped her packing bags,” said Powers. “As soon as I found out how much that cost I started making calls to raise some
Zueger, a substitute at the Stockton Elementary School cafeteria, shared her observations of a need often hidden from public view. “We’ve seen kids that are trying to make a sandwich and put it in their pocket to take home, and it shouldn’t happen,” she said. “It should never happen. You wouldn’t think it would happen in a small town and you wouldn’t think we have homeless people either, but we do and it’s heartbreaking. This is a country where you have millionaires and you have people living out of dumpsters.” Rene Powers, a Stockton senior and a member of the Servant Leadership organization said after nearly a year of circumnavigating obstacles the SNOW project finally took off when they approached the school’s social worker Cory Walters. “All the participants are anonymous,” she said. “We don’t know who they are, but Tony Carton photo from Mr. Walters we know the Stockton police officer Don Powers presents the members of the Stockton Chapter of High- number of family members and land Community College Servant Leadership with a check supporting SNOW, a nutritional if there are food allergies or if outreach program created and operated by the chapter’s membership. there are specific food favorites Feedback from the school like a certain snack or meal. We money because SNOW is a we approached other community organizations for help, they says the program is already want them to have things they great program.” like so they will eat.” The Stockton Police Depart- were happy to be a part of it showing positive results. She said they are learning “SNOW has only been in ment Union, Teamsters Local and were willing to take some 722 is continuing to help and of the pressure off of the kids.” place for about six weeks, but how important nutrition is to Powers is in the process of That approach created a the teachers are already notic- daily performance. “We’re not even a full month ing a difference in the perforapplying for a grant that will SNOWball effect. “The Stockton Lions and the mance and energy levels of into the program and teachers further fund the project. “Our Servant Leaders origi- Stockton Police Union have the students involved,” Zueger are coming to us saying the nally intended to collaborate already come forward with said. “We knew, but the feed- kids are doing better in school,” on the project with the Stock- sizeable donations and an ava- back verifies a nutritionally said Powers. “We just know the ton food pantry, but when we lanche of support is just begin- correct weekend makes a dif- kids are happier and doing better and that’s all that matters.” ference.” realized our goals exceeded the ning,” said Carton. food pantry’s capabilities we knew we’d have to undertake more food drives and funLAW OFFICES OF draisers in addition to our other • Car Accidents • Personal Injury community service projects,” said Servant Leadership co• Slip / Trip & Fall • Job Accidents mentor Cindy Carton. “When
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