Page 15 - Florida Sentinel 9-15-17

Local
Publix Donates $45,000 To Fight Hunger At 8 Schools
Todd Jones, CEO of Publix Markets and Ms. Tamara Sham- burger, holds a check for $5,000 designated for Potter Elementary School.
Yinka Alege, Area 5 Superintendent's Office, Ms. Tamara Shamburger, School Board District 5 rep- resentative, and Ovette Wilson, Principal of Cahoon-Van Buren K-8, are shown holding a check for $5,000.
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last month, Publix Su- permarkets employees and executives met with the offi- cials at the Hillsborough County School District. Their purpose was to announce a groundbreaking donation
that would benefit 8 schools. The purpose of the $45,000 donation is to end childhood hunger in Hillsborough County.
In an effort to make an even larger impact on several communities, the grocery chain has committed to do- nate the funding to help cre-
ate food pantries at the schools.
The schools receiving the donations are: Bing Elemen- tary, Cahoon-Van Buren K-8, Dover Elementary, Mort Ele- mentary, Potter Elementary, Ruskin Elementary, Booker T. Washington Elementary, and Woodbridge Elementary Schools.
The new food pantries at the awarded schools will serve as a pilot program. The district will measure and ac- cess the impact and sustain- ability of each food pantry on a yearly basis.
School Board Chair- woman Cindy Stuart said at the press conference, “We are compelled to make this gift extend to build healthy, more invigorated communi- ties. This seed money ac- knowledges Publix’s commitment to the families of Hillsborough County.”
Todd Jones, CEO of Publix thanked employees for continuing the organiza- tion’s corporate culture of service. “We remain commit- ted to serving the communi- ties in which Publix operates, and I couldn’t be more proud
to work with such dedicated and caring individuals.”
Local Publix employees have previously volunteered their time and dollars in sup- porting Mort Elementary School in its food pantry, as well as providing school beautification projects in- cluding eye-catching hallway murals.
Research has shown that students who are hungry have trouble concentrating and a lack of a healthy, nutri- tious meal can affect a stu- dent’s emotional, social and cognitive learning.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-B