Forty-seven million people face food insecurity in the United States, according to Feeding America.
As the hunger crisis intensifies across the country, local initiatives like the Brookline Hunger Heroes (BHH) step up to make change. The BHH was founded this year by sophomores Molly Schroder and Jamie Magee in an effort to support people facing food insecurity. Through food drives and fundraisers, students help reduce the impact of the current hunger crisis.
Schroder said she created the club out of a desire to provide an organized space for students to come together and make a difference in the high school community.
“We saw a lot of people were talking about [volunteering] because it’s a really great way to get community service hours but also make a huge impact,” Schroder said. “The club helps us reach as many people as we can.”
Club member and sophomore Wilson St. Clair’s past experiences with volunteering at the Brookline Food Pantry drew him to join the club.
“I just wanted to reach out and help more. I’ve been trying to get more involved with charity just out of a desire to help people, and it’s a growing passion of mine,” St. Clair said.
The club is currently hosting their first food drive, which is specifically for fall-related goods. There are labeled brown paper bags distributed all throughout the campus and classrooms, which St. Clair urges people to put items in.
“If you just have any non-perishable fall foods, like pumpkin pie mix or something like that, you can go donate and put it into one of those bags and we’ll handle the rest,” St. Clair said.
In addition to food drives, Magee has other fundraising ideas for the future, such as selling merchandise at sporting events and donating the proceeds to the Brookline Food Pantry. Additionally, the club plans to do a toy drive for kids during the holiday season.
“We see kids come through [the Brookline Food Pantry] and it’s so sad so one of the bigger ideas we had is to do stuff like create goodie bags or seasonal things,” Magee said.
For Schroder, BHH was not only a way to help others, but also a way to connect with those around her.
“I found out that a lot of our friends who are in the club now had also been [volunteering]. Then Jamie and I started [volunteering] together and it became like a weekly date for us,” Schroder said.
The supportive and collaborative atmosphere within the BHH creates a kind and welcoming environment, according to St. Clair.
“It’s a great environment with not only people I know now but people I’ve been friends with in the past and have reconnected with,” St. Clair said. “The club is full of people that genuinely want to make a change and want to get more involved in actually helping others and supplying food for those who need it.”
