Students fight food insecurity in their community by opening a free grocery store

The students at Linda Tutt High School in Sanger, Texas, are doing their part to make sure no one in their community goes hungry.

In November, the school opened an on-site grocery store, with students safely doing the shopping for customers and bringing the groceries out to cars. Instead of cash, people make their purchases with points. Points are based on the number of people in a family, but for students, they can get bonus points by committing acts of kindness. "I get a joy out of it," junior Preston Westbrook told the Houston Chronicle. "It's one of the things I have a passion for, to help out. Everything from stocking the store and giving groceries to people."

Principal Anthony Love said when he was first approached about starting a student-run grocery store, he thought it was "a great idea, because it doesn't take long to see all the positive impacts that this program can have on others in the community." From fresh food to canned goods, the shelves are stocked with items that help families in need of extra assistance during the pandemic. Right now, more than 130 families are regulars at the grocery store, and organizers hope to start helping even more people in the near future.

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