–Students and staff members at the Algona Middle School have teamed up with a number of local entities to open a food pantry for students in need. Middle School Principal James Rotert discussed the project with the Algona School Board during their meeting this week.
Plans for the BARK Food Pantry have been in the works for over a year, as discussions began with the Iowa Food Bank and branched out to local service providers and business leaders. Rotert says one of the biggest decisions that had to be made was finding a location house everything.
Rotert says that location was chosen because it’s accessible to the public without having to walk through a school building and it will be easy to unload supplies when they arrive on a truck.
A number of local groups have stepped up to make sure the pantry has those needed items. Along with providing food, Rotert says they are also aiming to provide other things a family may need.
Rotert says they want to make sure students in need don’t have to jump through hoops to receive assistance.
The BARK Food Pantry opened up this week. Initial plans call for it to be open for around 90 minutes twice a week, depending on the availability of volunteers. Rotert says they plan to have the pantry open during the summer months as well.
