What if the solution to hunger in our community lies in the active participation of our schools? This is exactly what Brentwood High School’s food pantry has been doing since April of 2019.  Currently run by two English teachers, Mrs. Melissa Hadsell and Mrs. Natalia O’Brien, the food pantry is housed in the Sonderling Center and provides food and hygiene products to high school students and their families throughout the year.

According to Patch Long Island, a study shows that nearly 300,000 long islanders specifically in the towns of Lindenhurst, Brentwood, and Bayshore face food insecurity in some way. Brentwood High School’s School Improvement Team created this initiative to combat food insecurity at the high school by providing necessities like toothbrushes, canned goods, and other nonperishables.

What makes the School Pantry such a successful initiative is its advisors, Mrs. O’Brien and Mrs. Hadsell, two teachers who care deeply about our community. The teachers who run the pantry say that they feel honored to help students not only with in-school studies, but also outside of the classroom.

“I think the school and the district do a lot to help our families facing food insecurity,” Mrs. O’Brien said. “And I am sure there is so much happening in all our schools that I don’t know about.  We truly are a family, and we look out for each other.”

Many student club members are involved in making contributions to the food pantry. Honor Societies like the Spanish Honor Society and National Honor Society at Brentwood High School encourage their members to accumulate service credit by donating to the food pantry.

With over 4,500 students in both Ross and Sonderling, the school pantry advisors know that they are always in need of donations, especially during the holiday season. During these times, many people donate canned goods, bread, and vegetables, which are used by families during the holiday season. Right now, the pantry is most in need of hygiene supplies since this is most of what they give families as well as canned fruit.

“I think simple awareness of what food insecurity is and its effect on our community can help students bridge the gap between their perception of the need and how their donations can make a difference,” said Mrs. O’Brien.