On Friday, December 18, 2020, kindergartners 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. 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. While COVID-19 protocols didn’t permit a tour of the facility, the children, ages five and six, discussed how the Foodbank receives, packs, and delivers the donations and orders they receive each week.
Recent University of Vermont Research demonstrates food insecurity in Vermont has reached record levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 30% of Vermonters experiencing food insecurity since March. This demonstrates nearly triple the 2018 food insecurity levels.
MSCVT is a non-profit school serving children ages 18 months through twelve 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/.
