Go Fresh! Go what? Yes, fresh!
In January 2022, the pantry started a new initiative thanks to a teacher who wondered if we could try bananas for a snack instead of the typical pretzels, popcorn, graham crackers, etc.
With the help of Allison Steinmetz and a couple of brave teachers/classrooms at Bridges Elementary, we conducted a pilot program where the school would receive fresh fruit from the pantry, once per week, for students to have as a snack throughout the week. The pantry started by delivering a couple of cases of bananas. After a few weeks, we succeeded and added another school, Grand Avenue. It was a slow process, but our goal was to add all schools to Go Fresh by March 2022.
And I am pleased to report we achieved our goal! At the end of the 2022 school year, teachers and staff asked if we would continue with the Go Fresh program. We gave a huge YES!
Go Fresh continues to be a positive experience for school-aged students attending all schools in the Sauk Prairie district, including the Nursery Center and Divine Mercy (St Aloysius) schools. It is a great thing to hear students say “I love the apples!” or “I never knew what a pear was, I really like them!” and so much more!