Service In Action: 9th Grade at the Central Texas Food Bank

Now in its second year, this trip has become a component of the 9th-grade experience, allowing our students to engage in a needed act of service with our local community. With nearly the entire Class of 2029 participating, supported by an incredible team of adult chaperones (a dedicated mix of both parents and staff!), our students demonstrated what it truly means to put the Service Pillar in action at St. Andrew’s.

The scale of our students' work has been amazing. Working in 8 different shifts at the CTFB warehouse, the 9th graders rolled up their sleeves to inspect and bag thousands of pounds of fresh produce and bread products, and even create compost for the CTFB gardens! On average, each shift successfully inspected over 5,000 lbs of food, ensuring that nutritious items like carrots, potatoes, beets, and grapefruits were ready for distribution to families in need. 

As noted on their website, “The Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) is the leading hunger-relief nonprofit in Central Texas, working to provide immediate and equitable access to nutritious food for individuals across its 21-county service area. Through a combination of direct-service programs and a network of approximately 250 nonprofit community partners, CTFB supports over 610,000 food-insecure individuals annually.” By spending their afternoon at the warehouse, our students became a vital link in this chain of support.

Beyond the physical component of bagging produce, this trip allowed our 9th-grade students to reflect on the complexities of food insecurity in Central Texas. Witnessing the sheer volume of food moving through the warehouse provided a tangible look at the scale of our community’s needs and allowed our students to see firsthand how the Servant Pillar of our school’s mission functions in a real-world setting. We are incredibly proud of the hard work our students displayed during these shifts.

A huge thank you to the many parents and staff members who joined us. We never could have done this trip without you. Your presence not only ensured the safety and success of the trip but also modeled the importance of community engagement for our students. We look forward to seeing how our 9th graders continue to carry this spirit of stewardship into their second year of high school!