Aurora high school social justice class fights food insecurity at school
Students in a social justice class at Smoky Hill High School in Aurora are learning that caring for people means helping them meet their basic needs. As a part of their curriculum, they are running a food bank at the high school for their peers who are food insecure or need hygienic supplies.
The Buffs Pantry, as they named it, is serving a huge need. According to the USDA, 14.4% of youth under the age of 18 in Arapahoe County struggle with a lack of consistent access to food. So far this year the students have served seventy families.
That's why seniors Jassani Baleros and Desire Gee spent Thursday gathering food for one of their peers. They just don't know who it is.
"When we set up the orders, we don't say the name, we don't go up to the people. You know, we send it to the office," said Baleros.
The students running the panty said having food helps their peers learn.
"They get a little bit more relief throughout their high school year because they know this is here for them. And like, they don't have to feel like they're the loner in class," said senior Treasure Benton.
Initially, the social justice class was set up to give students a space to discuss social issues and tough topics. But two years ago, they had the opportunity to take over the Buffs Pantry.
Sarah Ogide, the teacher of the class, said the kids have revolutionized the way it is run.
"This space really highlights just how ingenious they can be especially when they're given creative freedom to do things," said Ogide.
The students are the ones who came up with the idea of anonymous requests. They created a QR code their peers can scan that takes them to a webpage where they can sign up for food assistance anonymously.
Ogide says their action fits in perfectly with the theme of the class.
"Being a good citizen and part of a community is like figuring out who needs the most help and who maybe isn't asking for it, and finding a way to do outreach to those people," said Ogide.
The students said running this food bank has shown them that if they want to change the world, they need to start at home.
"Since we are a social justice activism class, that's a way for us to advocate for other students," said Gee.
The students get the supplies they give out through donations and food drives.
