A new food pantry, stocked with fresh vegetables, dry goods, and other nutritious options, is now open and ready to serve at Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy, thanks to the partnership between Kroger and Must Ministries.
At the formal ribbon-cutting for the new food pantry, Kroger presented Must Ministries with a $218,423 donation for its school pantry project. The pantry at Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy, which is just one of the food pantries sponsored by Kroger and Must Ministries, will provide a sustainable source of food for families in need.
“This is a profound day for us,” New Beginnings Academy Principal Dr. Zawadaski Robinson said. “I hear the concerns from my students and my families. Basic needs are not something that I need students worrying about. This is an added layer of support that’s necessary so that families can be more consistent at getting students here ready to learn every day.”
The fully stocked pantry was ready to serve families immediately after the ribbon-cutting ceremony, and more than 150 families were already registered to receive a tote bag filled with meats, dry goods, fresh vegetables, and more.
“We’ve made a lot of attempts to sustain somewhat of a pantry through our previous foundations and partnerships, but this is epic,” Robinson said. “All we have to do is ensure that we have all the parents registered, so that they can ensure that every family that shows up will receive services.”
Food insecurity is not just a local issue, but a national one affecting approximately 14 million children across the country, according to Tammie Young-Ennaemba, the head of communications and public affairs for the Kroger Atlanta Division.
“It’s really important that we find ourselves in this space today, because we should go where the need is,” Young-Ennaemba said. “It’s just not acceptable that a student has to come to school and not have something to eat the night before or the day before they get to school. None of us can function if we don’t nourish ourselves. This pantry here allows us to provide a tangible safety net for our children.”
Kroger and Must Ministries will make monthly deposits to keep the New Beginnings Academy pantry fully stocked, allowing the school to focus on its main priorities: academic growth and S.R.T. (Social Emotional Learning, Restorative Practices, and Trauma and Therapeutic Informed Practices).
“We help fill in the gaps so that students can become scholars and productive citizens,” Robinson said. “Mr. (Hank) Aaron’s philosophy was to keep swinging. We instill this in our students every day. He did it and overcame all the obstacles throughout his career, and our students do it every day to become scholars, productive citizens, and graduates.”