A newly-introduced community pantry is now stocked and completed in the CCR office. The pantry includes school supplies, hygiene and feminine products, clothing and snack items that are all free and accessible to students who need them.
The pantry is a product of senior and Student Body President Anna Gagne’s goal to provide more available resources for North students. Her preparation involved getting a space designated to store the items and multiple shopping trips to stock the pantry.
“It originally came as a project I wanted to do for different things like winter coats and jackets as well as school supplies. [It was] something I wanted to do to give back to North that involved current North students,” said Gagne.
Students who are in need of the supplies provided by the pantry can access it by contacting someone within the CCR or another trusted adult.
“[Students can] come to the CCR office, and you can pretty much see or email or talk to anybody there, so whether that be Ms. Kufer up in the front, or your own guidance counselor or even a dean,” said Gagne. “Just let them know, ‘Hey, I have a need for something in the pantry. Hey, I have a need for this or that.’ And they will probably guide you to the community pantry. They will unlock it for you and you can take whatever you need at that moment.”
While Gagne currently manages it, she hopes to expand the pantry’s longevity and the number of contributors involved.
“I definitely see myself kind of overseeing the stocking of it, overseeing how well it is working or how efficiently it is working. [I would like to see] if this project or pantry can go more long term. I would love to go and make it like a service opportunity for different honor societies or different clubs to get involved, even like Key Club, NHS [and] student council,” said Gagne. “So I think that is something we will have to see over the next couple of months.”
Gagne emphasizes that the pantry is there for students in need of items that the closet supplies and hopes to see it operate as an honor system.
“I feel like a lot of students here, including myself, [are] very privileged and lucky to be in a school, and I feel like we do live in a predominantly wealthy area. However, I know that there are students that may not have that privilege and need different items, like the ones that we can provide in our closet, and so I want to hopefully help reduce the stigma around that and at least help students who may need it,” said Gagne.
