Dozens of kids in Mesquite Independent School District no longer have to worry about where their next meal is coming from thanks to Dallas Cowboys' center Travis Frederick.
Frederick's Blocking Out Hunger Foundation is building a food pantry at Dr. Linda Henrie Elementary School to provide groceries for more than 150 kids a week. The official ribbon cutting ceremony was held Tuesday.
"Knowing that our pantry today is going to service 151 students here in a school that really has a large need makes you feel good, and it makes you see that things are actually working," said Frederick. "We were really successful in our last fundraiser, raising over $250,000, and when you get to see that money put into place, put into a program that's actually helping kids, it really makes you feel good."
Alberstons and Tom Thumb will restock the pantry with fresh produce every two weeks.
“Henrie’s is about 94 percent free and reduced school lunch,” said the school’s principal Lisa Millsaps. “We know that the students get a good breakfast when they come and they get lunch, but when they leave our campus that’s the concern.”
The food pantry will feed them physically and help feed their appetite for learning.
“I think the main thing is Travis has talked to them about making good choices in life," Millsaps said. "Not only about healthy food, but exercising and being active. I think that the whole thing really benefits education, because if you’re healthy and you’re eating right then you’re going to do better at school. So I think it’s going to have a great impact on our campus.”
It's the second food pantry opened by Frederick's Blocking Out Hunger Foundation. The first opened at Trinity Basin Preparatory in Fort Worth last year.
