Caring for Members of the High School Family

New campus pantry provides free food and clothing

By Ellie Scott, Current Staff

The West Bend High Schools have some new sets of helping hands.

The new school pantry, Helping Hands, was introduced at the start of the school year. It is currently housed in room R05 and stores a variety of clothing and food available to both student and staff if they need it. It is run by Jamie Thomas and Krystal Monday, two student support workers. Donations from staff allow the pantry to be accessible to students.

After sending out a needs list, the pantry received an abundance of food, clothing and personal items from the high school staff.

“The staff here has been really, really generous,” Thomas said.

The pantry came to life on the first day of school this year after being proposed by West social studies teacher Nicole Di Bernardo last year.

“This has been done all over, but it just hasn’t been consolidated into one room,” Di Bernardo said.

Di Bernardo had the idea to create a pantry last spring after helping a few of her own students that were in need. It only took a few quick phone calls and a look at the room before the plan was approved.

“The staff here has been really, really generous.”
– Jamie Thomas

“I really think it’s a neat thing to be able to help students that don’t have the same resources,” West junior Santy Cárdenas Delgado said.

West guidance counselor Laura Westergaard is glad to have the pantry open and available to students.

“I just really think it’s awesome as another resource,” Westergaard said.

Helping Hands is currently running on donations only from staff around the building. The wish list changes month to month, but all donations are appreciated. Drop boxes are located in the main office.

(Top image: In the Helping Hands Pantry there is an abundance of food and clothing available to students and staff. Photo by Ellie Scott, Current Staff.)