Food Insecurity Project at Oliver Ames High School Awarded Grant from Albertsons Companies Foundation

Students in the Leo Club at Oliver Ames High School, under the guidance of English teacher Malathy Sankaran, held a service event called “Trick or Treat So All Can Eat” in late October, collecting canned goods to donate to the Easton Food Pantry. (Photo courtesy Easton Public Schools)

EASTON — Superintendent Dr. Lisha Cabral and Principal Kelly Cavanaugh are proud to share that Oliver Ames High School English teacher Malathy Sankaran has been awarded a grant through the Explore.Act.Tell. (EAT) Program to support her ongoing project, “Tiger’s Hunt for Poverty,” which aims to raise awareness about food insecurity and support neighbors in need.

The Explore.Act.Tell. Program — funded by the Albertsons Companies Foundation through its Nourishing Neighbors charitable initiative — has again recognized students at Oliver Ames for their work to understand, address and share solutions about hunger in the local community. This year’s $1,000 award continues a streak of successful projects at OAHS, where students have participated in EAT’s national service-learning competition for four consecutive years, earning grant funding each time.

Sankaran, who also serves as the faculty advisor for the Oliver Ames Leo Club, guided students as they researched food insecurity in Easton by interviewing leaders of local food pantries and volunteering on site to learn firsthand about the needs of community members.

Through “Tiger’s Hunt for Poverty,” students raised funds by selling Hilliards Chocolates and used the proceeds to make 100 lunches — each containing a sandwich, fruit, treat and water — which they delivered to local homeless shelters. Students also organized a neighborhood food drive ahead of Halloween, donating the collected items to the Easton Food Pantry.

The project builds on several years of service by the Leo Club, which includes about 30 student members and works closely with the Easton Lions Club.

Last school year, Leo Club members used EAT grant funding and proceeds from chocolate sales to prepare and donate 250 lunches across two service campaigns. Students also created a schoolwide presentation and QR-code awareness effort to highlight food waste, food insecurity and the work of local pantries.

The Foundation for Impact on Literacy and Learning (FILL), which administers the Explore.Act.Tell. Program in partnership with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, praised students across the country for their dedication to creating solutions to hunger in their communities.

“The success of the Explore.Act.Tell. Program is a direct testament to the incredible passion with which students and educators have embraced our curriculum and message,” said Diane Barrett, Executive Director of FILL. “We are excited to observe how students collaborate, plan actions and research hunger and food insecurity in their communities.”

Christy Duncan Anderson, President and Executive Director of Albertsons Companies Foundation Nourishing Neighbors, gave credit to Oliver Ames High School for the impact it’s having in the fight against hunger.

“We are incredibly proud to partner with Oliver Ames High School in our shared mission to end hunger in our neighborhoods,” she said. “Together, we are committed to making a tangible difference in the lives of those in need, ensuring that no one goes to bed hungry.”

The Explore.Act.Tell. Program, now entering its sixth year, has served more than 261,000 students and nearly 2,500 educators nationwide. Through four interactive lessons, student teams define a hunger-related issue in their community, implement a service project and then share their results through PSA-style videos and presentations.

Superintendent Dr. Cabral and Principal Cavanaugh credited Sankaran for taking the initiative, facilitating with students to help them develop a better understanding of food insecurity and to lead community service projects to address the problem locally.

“We are immensely proud of Ms. Sankaran and our students for their continued leadership in addressing food insecurity,” Principal Cavanaugh said. “Their work through the Explore.Act.Tell. Program not only supports families in need, but also builds empathy, civic responsibility and a deep understanding of how young people can make an impact.”

“This grant award is a recognition of the commitment that our students show year-after-year in service to our community,” said Superintendent Dr. Cabral. “We are grateful for the partnership with the Albertsons Companies Foundation and FILL, and incredibly proud of Ms. Sankaran and the Leo Club for representing Easton Public Schools with such compassion and purpose. We look forward to seeing what’s in store for our students as they continue to engage thoughtfully in community service work.”

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The Oliver Ames Leo Club raised donations for the Easton Food Pantry. (Photo courtesy Easton Public Schools)