On Friday, December 13, 2019, fourteen kindergarteners from Montessori School of Central Vermont (MSCVT) delivered non-perishable food donations, collected from a school food drive, to the Vermont Foodbank’s Barre Distribution Center and toured the facility. This annual fieldtrip is an opportunity for the students to learn more about food insecurity in our local communities and to better understand how community involvement and support helps families; with a goal of building empathy and community connection.
The children, ages five and six, got to see how the Foodbank receives, packs, and delivers the donations and orders they receive each week. The students were excited to see the trucks, forklifts, and other equipment in action as well as the large walk-in refrigerator and freezer. “I couldn’t believe how big and cold the freezer was; it can hold tons of food” said Benson age 5.
According to the Hunger in America Study (conducted by the Vermont Foodbank and Feeding America) one in four people, or an estimated 153,000 people, in Vermont turn to food shelves and meal service programs to feed themselves and their families. This includes 33,900 children and 26,010 seniors. The immense need was not lost on the young students. “When I grow up I want to volunteer at the Foodbank loading trucks and helping people,” said Wyatt age 6.
MSCVT is a non-profit school located in Barre, serving children ages 18 months through twelve years of age in the surrounding towns of central Vermont. The Montessori Method of Education, developed by Maria Montessori, is a child-centered educational approach that allows children the freedom to succeed and learn in an environment that nurtures their needs, talents, gifts, and special individuality. Children have fun while they learn, respect and care for the people and things around them and take responsibility for their actions. For more information about MSCVT please visit https://mscvt.org/
