Mannion Middle School’s Be Kind Club operates food pantry to help Henderson students in need

According to Paige Johnson, safety school counselor at Mannion Middle School, when people think about Henderson, most don’t automatically link it with poverty.

Mannion has about 1,500 students, and Johnson said several hundred fall below the poverty line.

“Everyone thinks with where the school is located, we don’t have families that are in need,” she said.

But need exists in the neighborhood around the school at 155 E. Paradise Hills Drive. Johnson, along with the students from her Be Kind Club, have decided to help those families by creating a food pantry.

Johnson is a licensed counselor who has worked in various Clark County schools. After Mannion received a state grant aimed at putting social service resources into certain schools, she started down a new path when a safety school counselor program began in April.

One of her past students proposed the idea for a food pantry last year as part of his Eagle Scout project. He made the first collections.

After the pantry was created and the student moved on to high school, the Be Kind Club decided to take it over for this school year.

On a recent Friday morning during the club meeting, students unpacked boxes of items such as cereal, crackers, and mac and cheese and stocked shelves with new products.

Eighth-grader Scott Weaver is happy about the pantry’s progress.

“I know this is helping people out,” he said. “I hope it grows.”

Johnson makes sure to send letters home with all Mannion students and put information in school newsletters to let parents know about it. Currently, the pantry is helping to feed about 20 families. The reasons why these families use it vary.

Some have had employment changes or are in transition with their living situations. When a job loss or housing emergency occurs, Johnson said people might seek help from social services but it can take a while to actually get the help.

“We have people on waiting lists for months,” Johnson added.

She said the school’s pantry isn’t just for people who have fallen on hard times. “I had someone say because they were able to get $200 worth of groceries (from the pantry), they can now pay their power bill,” Johnson said.

Some parents are also supporting a household of four or five people on a minimum wage salary. Food from the pantry helps to fill the gaps.

In order to stock the pantry, Johnson relies on club members to help organize and collect items. She said her students will go out to churches or community groups to seek donations.

“At first, it was hard asking,” Weaver said, adding that it got easier, and, as a result, the school has been able to get more items.

Often on Fridays, Johnson will send students home with a list of things to collect. Come Monday, parents have provided everything on the list and then some.

“I have a parent who goes to WinCo or Costco, and every time, she loads up on items,” Johnson said. “We have parents who go above and beyond.”

She said community organizations and churches also have made donations on their own since learning about the pantry.

“We just got refrigerators donated,” Johnson said, adding that they hope to offer fruits and vegetables.

It’s not just food they have gotten: Families, businesses and church groups also have collected clothing and hygiene items. Whatever hasn’t been donated, Johnson said they usually get through gift cards.

“If I have a kid with a size 11 shoe, I might not get that donated,” she said.

A few times, Johnson has even gotten doctors to donate medical services.

Eighth-grader Elana Anderson said the club is organizing raffles and selling food items to raise money for the project. She said the club is also planning to make special baskets for families during the holidays and take on an Angel Tree sponsorship.

Looking past the first year, Johnson said she thinks she could get donations and sponsorship from larger organizations.

“I’ve been writing grants and trying to get the word out,” she said.

Visit mannion.ccsd.net or call 702-799-3020.

To reach Henderson View reporter Michael Lyle, email mlyle@viewnews.com or call 702-387-5201. Find him on Twitter: @mjlyle.