When SNAP benefits were disrupted in November, educators and communities mobilized to keep students fed and reminded us of what public schools are all about.
Maine educators understand that learning starts with a full stomach. So when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were interrupted during the government shutdown in November, schools didn’t wait for solutions—they mobilized. Across the state, educators and community partners sprang into action to make sure students and families had what they needed, proving once again that public schools are the heart of their communities.
“We really did notice that we had hungry students. More and more, we were hearing that students didn’t have enough to eat at home, or they didn’t have breakfast. So, our staff began to talk about how to put something together to help students outside of school.”
Heidi Clarke
Orono High School
Since 2021, Maine has benefited from state legislation ensuring that all students enjoy free school meals, but educators know that any looming program cuts could reduce students’ access to meals outside of the classroom and impact their engagement in school.
Over the last few months, teachers, school nurses, education technicians, food service workers, bus drivers, and other essential school employees have gone above and beyond across the state to ensure that students’ needs are met, and students do not go hungry.
→When Hunger Hits Home, Schools Respond
As a guidance administrative assistant at Orono High School, Heidi Clarke sees signs of food insecurity in students first-hand. To address the increase in the growing needs of the school, Clarke helped start a weekend backpack program to make sure students had food at home.
“We really did notice that we had hungry students,” Clarke explains. “More and more, we were hearing that students didn’t have enough to eat at home, or they didn’t have breakfast. So, our staff began to talk about how to put something together to help students outside of school.”
When the program began three years ago, it served 12 families. Today, it serves around 30, with support from the Orono Health Association, which helps fill bags weekly. Clarke says, as the need grew, so did the partnership, which is what helps keep the program sustainable.
When the news of SNAP benefit disruption spread in November, anxiety spiked. “I had students coming to me, signing up for the program,” Clarke says. “Parents were calling the school. It was on their minds, and families were anxious.”
Clarke says the goal of the program is to remove the stigma from asking for help. One student reached out to Clarke in November to gather information about the program. “His parents wanted to do it for a year, but they thought he’d be embarrassed to bring the bags home,” she says. “He took the initiative himself because he knew his family needed the support.”
→Fueling Hope, One Jeep Load at a Time
In late October, Orono staff gathered after school to brainstorm a fast response to the delay of SNAP benefits. They landed on something fun and visible, a rolling donation drive where students and community members could step up to fill the principal’s unmistakable purple Jeep.
“We made a video with students the very next day,” Clarke recalls. “Students, including our school mascot, led the whole thing. The Jeep was parked outside of sporting events and in a daily drop-off spot behind the school.” Donations from the students, families, and community members poured in.
Clarke says to add some extra fun, “Our principal promised if the students filled the Jeep once, they could duct tape her to the wall. If students filled the Jeep twice, they could duct tape our principal and assistant principal to the wall.” Students, however, exceeded expectations and were able to fill the Jeep four times!
“All of the food we collect stays right here to serve students in our district,” Clarke explains. “We now are able to load the weekend food bags with additional items each week and keep items on hand for students who need an extra snack or lunch.”
“We’ll put out a message ‘Hey, we’re looking for a washing machine,’ and someone steps up. Because learning can’t happen when basic needs aren’t met.”
Beth Whitehouse
Medway Middle School
→From Awareness to Action: Medway Students Step Up
At Medway Middle School, teachers Beth Whitehouse and Kelley Waite say their school community has been stepping up to meet student needs for years, but now with the increased awareness around food insecurity among students, the community has rallied behind them.
“This isn’t something we just started this year, we have been supporting families for
years, by buying groceries, helping with heating oil or wood, supporting them during the holidays,” Waite says. “Our administrator has bought medicine, groceries, even wood and oil for families,” Whitehouse adds. “We’ll put out a message ‘Hey, we’re looking for a washing machine,’ and someone steps up. Because learning can’t happen when basic needs aren’t met.”
Whitehouse, Waite, and their colleague Olivia Whitehouse help to oversee the Medway Middle School Student Council, a group of around 16 young leaders in grades five through eight committed to organizing service-learning and activities that engage the entire school community.
In November, their students organized a food drive and delivered donations to
the local food bank where they stocked shelves and learned how their donations move to families throughout the community. “They were flabbergasted—eighty families needed help that week,” Waite said. That experience left an impression, so when food benefits were disrupted this fall, students were quick to spring into action.
Waite and Whitehouse say they talked with students about the impact that the interruption in food benefits would have. “Knowing how much families relied on the food pantry, students said they were interested in starting their own food pantry,” Whitehouse said.
Students led the donation effort. They worked to promote their new food pantry and the food drive. They connected with local groups, schools, agencies, and community members and began collecting everything from toilet paper and shampoo to canned goods and pasta.
They even organized complete meal kits like spaghetti dinners and pancake breakfast boxes, and worked to secure fresh meat, dairy, and produce, so families had more than just shelf-stable items.
Their commitment went beyond collecting food. Students met donors with a smile and made sure every supporter received a handwritten thank‑you note. Their hard work has not gone unnoticed. Waite and Whitehouse say keeping the pantry stocked hasn’t been a challenge. Each time items go out, new donations pour in to replace them, often with unexpected touches like birthday cakes. “Our community is incredibly generous,” Waite says. “All it takes is a message, and people show up.”
“We feed the kids 24/7 at school,” Waite
says. “Snacks in every classroom, fridges in rooms, a cafeteria share table for packaged items,” she explains. “Every teacher gives each student what they can, even if it is a hug or a kind word.”
The pantry is open to anyone in the community. They say one colleague, Casey Savage, even makes a point to show up after hours and during vacations to ensure families have what they need. “It’s rewarding that when someone calls for help, we can say, ‘We’ve got you,’” Waite shares.
“You can’t teach the feeling they get when they help others—their eyes sparkling because they know their work matters.”
Kelley Waite
Medway Middle School
→Teaching Empathy Through Action
Student-led service projects are doing more than filling shelves—they’re building bridges between schools and communities. “We want them to think beyond themselves,” Whitehouse explains. “That can be hard for middle schoolers, but this group is all about it. They’re caring, loving, and concerned for the future.”
Educators say efforts also help dismantle harmful assumptions and reduce stigma around asking for help, while raising awareness of food insecurity close to home. “A lot of people think food insecurity is about people not working,” Clarke explains. “But many parents have multiple jobs. Costs are high. Families are trying their best.”
Waite and Whitehouse say, the impact goes beyond food. “Students are gaining all those 21st-century skills—communication, collaboration, problem-solving,” Whitehouse explains. “And they’re learning that doing things for your community will come back to you eventually.”
The most rewarding part has been watching students step into leadership roles and the transformation that service learning has had on each of them. “You can’t teach the feeling they get when they help others—their eyes sparkling because they know their work matters,” Waite reflects.
The theme that emerged from every conversation? Everyone needs help from time to time. And when schools make that truth visible, the culture shifts. “Making it public took away the stigma,” Clarke says. “Kids who were embarrassed before aren’t anymore. They see they’re not alone—and that’s okay.”