Belong & Contribute
Just being a kid
13-17
Teen Establishes Food Pantry After Noticing Hungry Classmates
Photo and reporting by
Community Newspapers (Pinecrest Tribune)
Jake Lazar, a Miami Palmetto Senior High School junior, noticed classmates didn't have lunch. He and his mother, Beth, started the Panther Pantry, a student-run food pantry stocked with snacks, ramen, hygiene products, and detergent, operated entirely by private donations.
Two sets of hands
Jake's mother Beth worked with him to establish the Panther Pantry. He consulted with the school social worker Mrs. Ana Garces on the idea, then coordinated donations from school clubs and worked with teachers to offer extra credit for contributions.
Why we picked this one
Jake saw his classmates going without lunch and didn't wait for the adults to fix it. With his mother's help, he turned that problem into a shelf in the school hallway, stocked with ramen and chocolate milk and detergent. He got the clubs involved, convinced teachers to offer extra credit for donations, and built it from nothing. That's the move: a kid sees something broken and his parent says yes to him trying to fix it.
Jake noticed the kids without lunch and built a whole pantry, ramen, detergent, the works, stocked entirely by other people's spare change. You don't need a supply closet or a mom named Beth. Bake something this week, walk it to the door of one person you know is having a rough month, hand it over, and leave.
Read the full story at
Community Newspapers (Pinecrest Tribune)
Where it happened:
Pinecrest, Florida
Your kid sees an empty stomach or a worn shoe and it bothers them. What would happen if you said yes instead of no? What if you just helped them build the shelf?