BRUNSWICK

An annual rite of passage, St. John’s Catholic School students strengthened their link to food security Thursday.

Students formed a human chain between the school and Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program’s facility, passing on food and personal care products collected at St. John’s. On down the line went applesauce, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, fruit, toothpaste and other nonperishables and supplies.

This year’s event totaled 670 pounds donated to the organization, which provides food for hundreds of local families.

The food drive is just part of students’ education about food security.

Though the school was already undertaking the food chain event, first-grade teacher Amanda Shorey has done year-long service projects benefiting Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program for a decade.

She said first graders have collected nonperishable items for the food bank all year. They also took a tour of the facility and learned how it operates, kept collection boxes throughout the school and ran a few school-wide collection events. The school donates approximately 1,500 pounds of food annually.

“Even in first grade, they do understand that there are people not as fortunate as they are,” said Shorey. “We really discuss how they are lucky to be able to have three meals a day and don’t have to worry about where their lunch comes from or dinner comes from.”

They are starting to grasp that there are people who go hungry, and know they don’t like being hungry. Some students take on chores so they can earn money to buy food at the grocery store.

“They all have big hearts,” Shorey said, “and they love the idea that they’re helping out others.”

She is passionate about teaching students to think about others before themselves.

“I encourage them that we’re doing God’s work,” she said. “God encourages us to think of others and do for others and this is one way we can help out right here in our community.”

MCHPP Executive Director Karen Parker said food drives like ones undertaken by St. John’s are important because of the community involvement element, which recognizes that people within the community struggle with food insecurity.

The actual donation aspect is also critical, because the school year is winding down. For many families it is a celebration of time off, Parker said, but for other families “it’s really hard because they struggle with feeding their kids over the summer.”

She said food delivered this time of year helps those families over the summer, and noted that the food bank will see a spike in use over the summer.

Data shows it costs families $300 more a month in the summer for groceries to feed students out of school — many who had access to free or reduced lunch at school. It’s a huge burden on the budget for many families, Parker said.

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program is getting ready for its summer feeding sites. Once school is out, it will serve lunches daily at Curtis Memorial Library and Perryman Village, and will also be working with summer camps.

dmoore@timesrecord.com

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