YOU. ARE. AWESOME.
Because you care to start a School Food Pantry to help hungry, food-insecure students…and this Action Pack can help you.
Our team at Salud America!, a national project led by Dr. Amelie Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio, is excited you’re taking this big step that can help feed students who live in homes that don’t know where their next meal is coming from (and reduce food waste in cafeterias)!
This Action Pack has four key steps to help you talk to decision-makers, build support team, plan and implement, and promote and evaluate your very own School Food Pantry!
Before You Start…
Check out these materials, which can be customized to fit your needs.
💬 School Food Pantry FAQs. What’s food insecurity? How will a pantry work? Etc.
📣 Letter Campaign. Get people to sign up to support your idea.
📰 Case Study: San Antonio ISD. See how this district does School Food Pantries. This includes real-life templates from San Antonio ISD: Logistics and Organization, Types of Food, Distribution Logs, and Pantry Registration Forms.
📔 Quick Guide: Planning a School Food Pantry.
Step 1: Start the Conversation
Use our model emails and talking points to start the conversation about School Food Pantries with your school or district leader and/or your school or district.
📨 Email Principal / Superintendent (Word or PDF)
📨 Email Food / Nutrition Leader (Word or PDF)
🗣 Talking points (PDF)
Step 2: Build Support
Use our model letter campaign, handout, emails, and presentation to build support for your School Food Pantry.
📣 Letter Campaign. Get people to sign up to support your idea.
📰 Handout: Share your idea.
📔 PowerPoint: Present your idea (PPT or PDF).
📨 Email Key Influencers about your idea (Word or PDF)
Step 3: Plan & Implement Your Pantry
Use our “Quick Guide” plus real templates from San Antonio ISD (which has implemented 10 School Food Pantries thanks to nutrition leader Jenny Arredondo) to craft your own School Food Pantry.
🗒 Template: Logistics and Organization. See how SAISD organizes its School Food Pantries.
🗒 Template: Types of Food. See what kinds of food SAISD accepts.
🗒 Template: Distribution Logs. See how SAISD monitors donations and distribution.
🗒 Template: Pantry Registration Forms. See how SAISD monitors multiple pantries.
Step 4: Promote Your Pantry
Use our materials to promote your School Food Pantry among students, parents, and the greater community.
🗒 Sign to Promote a School Food Pantry
📣 Share these social media graphics:
Get Help Anytime!
All of our action pack coaches, Alyssa Gonzales, Catherine Wilson, and Cliff Despres, can answer questions and help customize materials for you. Email us: saludamerica@uthscsa.edu.
And at the end of your efforts, we can promote your progress on our national website among our other Salud Heroes!