Spartan News is a presentation of Mason County Central School District in partnership with Mason County Press.
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
SCOTTVILLE — The Lakeshore Food Club recently opened its second in-school club with the debut of the Spartan Food Club. Located at Mason County Central Middle School, and operated in partnership with MCC, the Spartan Food Club services MCC students from all grade levels.
“We had our opening last week and it went really well,” said Alison Glossinger, Lakeshore Food Club program manager.
Three years ago, the food club partnered with Gateway to Success Academy, also located in Scottville. The development of the school-based stores serves a few purposes.
“Hunger can be a huge deterrent to learning,” said Angela Taylor, MCC director of compensatory education and migrant education. “A portion of our student population face hunger every day. By providing them with another avenue to reduce that obstacle, we will see better learners and more success in the classroom.”
Taylor added that, in Michigan, 20% of children experience food insecurity.
Though the food club is located in the middle school, it is available to all eligible students. As of now, there is a scheduled day for each building’s students to shop.
Similar to the Lakeshore Food Club’s base location, 920 E. Tinkham Ave., Ludington, shoppers are given points; 20 points at the Spartan Food Club. Each item is worth a certain point. The club also offers hygienic supplies in addition to groceries.
“Typically, the more nutritional the item, the lower the point,” Glossinger said.
Participation in the food club is limited to students.
“If there is a family that needs more services, we will direct them to contract the Lakeshore Food Club,” Taylor said. “There are also other services available in the area, such as Caritas Food Pantry at St. Mary’s Church in Custer. But, the Spartan Food Club is for the students.”
Taylor is among those who will be speaking Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Lakeshore Food Club’s Harvesting Hope gala at the Lake House event center in Ludington. There, she will tell some of the numerous testimonials from MCC students who struggle with finding food to eat each day and the positive impact that programs such as Lakeshore Food Club have on those students’ lives.
The Spartan Food Club has received assistance from Michigan Farm Bureau, West Shore Bank, various grant funds provided to the school district, along with Lakeshore Food Club and its financial beneficiaries.
“At Lakeshore Food Club we like to say that we provide a hand-up not a hand-out,” said O’Nealya Gronstal, executive director of Lakeshore Food Club. “We wanted to establish this service at MCC as a way to reach another population and also to serve these children in a dignified manner. Many of them cannot control their circumstances and it often takes a person, an organization, or a community to come forward and give them the tools they need to be successful in life. We are very excited about this partnership.”
Though the primary purpose of the Spartan Food Club is to provide food and other basic needs, the participants are also learning lessons in economics.
“We are at school and it’s our primary purpose to educate children,” Taylor said. “Shopping for groceries is a great way to use basic math skills and learn budgeting. These are great life skills.”
One of the keys to success of any organization is the utilization of volunteers. The Spartan Food Club, along with the Wolfpack Food Club (at Gateway to Success), and the Lakeshore Food Club’s primary location are all in need of volunteers.
“This service needs volunteers in order to function,” Glossinger said.
Click here to learn more about volunteering.
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