Leadership Perimeter addresses food insecurity at Cross Keys High School

Food insecurity affects hundreds of Cross Keys High School students and staff members an issue the class of Leadership Perimeter is addressing this spring Monthly food distribution events in Brookhaven and Chamblee serve approximately people multiple of whom do not have reliable transportation Leadership Perimeter is calling for non-perishable donations for the Monday April event which will be held at Cross Keys in Brookhaven At Cross Keys percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch and several of the students and faculty are reliant on the school s food pantry to make ends meet The digital food drive stemmed from Leadership Perimeter classmates Dr Yolanda Scott who had already been collecting new and gently used winter items for Cross Keys and Tremaine Bagley who was inspired to help when she learned the school needed supplies and promotion in numerous areas Dr Scott made us aware of so a great number of challenges that the students faced including food insecurity Bagley explained When she mentioned the food insecurity challenges I really felt compelled to see firsthand what was happening Meeting with school leaders was truly truly eye opening Bagley worked with Cross Keys Principal Dr Brittany Cunningham and SAFE Plan Director Yazmin Acevedo-Mendez SAFE Attendee And Family Engagement Center provides therapy grief counseling drug prevention and career readiness workshops What really struck me was learning that not just the students but a lot of the staff members rely on the school s food pantry to make ends meet Bagley reported Bagley who began delivering snacks to the high school and her five classmates got to work planning a food drive She reported the mission of Leadership Perimeter is to inspire leaders to serve their communities for a lifetime It s never just about talking about the change It s about rolling up my sleeves and doing something tangible Bagley commented The group had envisioned a more traditional food collection and distribution event which would have been very very elaborate But as the school began construction on the million renovation they adapted to a more scalable plan That s where Leadership Perimeter training to stay flexible and adaptable came in handy Bagley reported We promptly realized that what matters the greater part isn t the format but the impact So we pivoted to the digital donation drive approach for ease The greater part of us shop on Amazon so supporters can contribute within minutes as you re doing your regular shopping or sitting in the car pool lane declared Bagley adding that items ordered through the link are shipped directly to Cross Keys Bagley thanked Brookhaven City Council Member John Funny for his assistance in the digital food drive He had been an early and consistent champion who provided valuable guidance during our planning process she commented What s been particularly inspiring is seeing how people connect with the why behind this project The remarkable students as you know are already achieving incredible things like the seven students being admitted early action to Georgia Tech which is the largest group from any DeKalb County school despite facing key challenges she mentioned A back-to-school event is being planned for late summer to provide food and essential school supplies We re not just providing food we re supporting well-deserving students who demonstrate the power of public Bagley added The post Leadership Perimeter addresses food insecurity at Cross Keys High School appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta