“It feels like Christmas because Christmas is magical,” said Emma, age 10. “It feels like this, like an opportunity for a better life.”
“I think it’s like Christmas and Thanksgiving because at Christmas you get and give gifts, and at Thanksgiving you’re thankful,” said Serena, age 11.
Emma and Serena were among a group of fifth-grade student ambassadors at Kissimmee Elementary at the grand opening celebration of Benny’s Bodega, the newest School Market in Osceola County. As school leaders, they were responsible for stocking the shelves inside the market.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida recently celebrated the grand opening of Benny’s Bodega with the student volunteers, school leaders and donors who made it possible.
Funding from the Poinsette Foundation has allowed Kissimmee Elementary to join the food bank’s School Partnerships Program. This program is a student-centered, stigma-reducing approach to preventing childhood hunger. It not only provides nutritious food to students in need but also fosters a sense of community and support within the school.
“What we do is open the market to the entire student body, so there are no questions of need or eligibility,” said Briana Rebello, the food bank’s School Partnerships Manager.
With one in six children in Central Florida at risk of going to bed hungry on any given night, the School Market at Kissimmee Elementary provides students with greater access to the nutritious foods they need to learn, grow and thrive both in and out of the classroom.
“This vital community resource would not be open today without the generous support of the Poinsette Foundation,” said Derrick Chubbs, President and CEO at Second Harvest. “Our partnership means that together we’re creating a stronger, healthier future for the kids and families who call Kissimmee home.”
Mia Poinsette, Founder and Executive Director of the Poinsette Foundation, added, “Hunger should never be a barrier to learning. By partnering with Second Harvest to bring a School Market to Kissimmee Elementary, we’re not just ensuring that nutritious food is accessible, but we are also investing in every student’s ability to focus, thrive, and achieve healthier lives.”
Principal Elizabeth Terry said teachers and staff had students who asked for additional food at school meals or were coming in hungry after the weekends.
“We had some sponsored food that was gone quickly, and we needed more,” she said. “Parents were asking our school liaison for food, and the fact that they were asking meant it was a need.”
It’s truly a community school, Elizabeth said. Seventy-five percent of the students walk to the Title 1 school, and parent involvement is very high.
“Our parents are hard-working and so involved. We see it as a great opportunity to build relationships,” said Elizabeth. “The students stock and the parents shop. We’ve had great responses.”
Second Harvest works with a network of 870 feeding partners, including 76 School Partnerships across its seven-county service area. Last year, the program provided more than 766,800 meals to students and families.
