Pantry Partner benefits community, offers students learning opportunities

April 9, 2025

We are grateful to partner with close to 200 partner agencies – schools, churches, community organizations – that assist getting food to neighbors in need. The Harry K Foundation-sponsored pantry inside the Howard T. Ennis School near Georgetown helps meet these demands – and more.

For those unfamiliar with the school – now situated in a new facility across the road from Sussex Central High School – it provides specialized education for students with disabilities from pre-K up to age 22. It was built with all the amenities needed for a positive educational experience for students, their families, and the community. Among those amenities are a food pantry serving that community.

Teacher Amanda Kelley brings the 11 students in her middle-school class to the food pantry, and the processes of sorting, stocking, organizing, cleaning up – and more – offer tools to teach functional academic skills and vocational skill development.

The pantry is open from 9 a.m. to noon, so while the students work on assigned essential tasks, neighbors will come into to “shop” for food. Kelley notes that the pantry obviously fulfils a need for those living with food insecurity; pantry records show that 400-600 households visit each month. Families, who enter and exit through a private entrance, are limited to one visit a week so many are familiar to the students. In addition to providing food, the school also has a small thrift store adjacent to the pantry.

While a paraprofessional support instructor registers a neighbor, one student may be stocking canned fruit. Another breaks down boxes, and other students check shelves to be sure the labels face the direction shoppers can see.

Amidst all the activity and in between coaching students, Kelley explains that high school students help distribute Backpacks – the weekend meal bags – throughout the school.

After the students take a lunch break, Kelley says plans for the afternoon include sorting fresh fruits and vegetables for distribution to make room for a new delivery. There may be an opportunity for the students to taste a new vegetable or fruit, learn more about numbers, colors, or taste.

“The kids learn better hands on,” she explains. “They are counting, learning functional reading, following directions, working together, math skills, food groups.”

And these skills are essential when operating a successful food pantry! Thank you, students, support staff, and Ms. Kelley!