SOTV BENEVOLENCE FUNDS SUPPORT HIGH SCHOOL SNACK CUPBOARDS

Donations to Shepherd of the Valley’s (SOTV) Benevolence Fund are being used to fund four Snack Cupboards in school District 196, supporting high school students at Rosemont High School, Apple Valley High School, the District 196 Learning Center, and the SES School of Environmental Studies (SES).  

While programs like Every Meal are in place for younger students, there were limited options available for high schoolers to get free food. These Snack Cupboards are intended to help high schoolers stay healthy by providing quick and nutritious take - home lunches, dinners, and snacks. Schools can even send food home with students for the weekends, no questions asked.

According to the American Psychological Association, food insecurity has been linked to academic distress, lower grade point averages, and higher rates of mental health issues like anxiety and depression. In addition to these issues, seeking food assistance can cause feelings of shame and/or isolation. By providing Snack Cupboards, seeking out free food can become more normalized, which is especially important for students who need it. 

SES was the first to adopt the new Snack Cupboards after a school nurse reported to SOTV staff that one of the biggest health concerns for students was receiving regular meals. 

"I remember getting the call from the school nurse. She wasn’t sure if SOTV could help, but she really wanted to find a way to get healthy
snacks to her students. After a quick chat and a visit to the school, we stocked her Snack Cupboard and kept it full all year long. Such a
small thing making a big difference for those kids." – Lynn Waska, Outreach Ministry Coordinator 

We reached out to Every Meal for assistance. While they didn’t have programs for high schoolers, they did help our staff reach out to other schools in need. They connected us to the District 196 Foundation, which provided a list of schools that were interested in participating. Currently, all  four schools that have adopted the program have fully stocked cupboards and that will be restocked as needed.  

The Snack Cupboards are intended to be permanent, yearly programs thanks to the gracious donations going into SOTV’s Benevolence Fund. According to the reporting school nurse from SES, students have shown gratitude for the donations and for easy access to meals, stating that many are significantly less stressed about going into the weekend knowing they will not be hungry.  

Your donations matter. Thank you for continuing to fund programs to support the communities where we live and work.  

The Benevolence Fund allows us the flexibility to allocate your gifts to the greatest need. Consider a financial gift to the ministries of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church at sotv.org/give.