This Week All 14 schools in the Henry County Public Schools (HCPS) District received a visit from The Wild Stallions Car Club of Martinsville and Henry County for a generous food donation.
According to the Virginia Department of Social Services, around 700 thousand Virginians are experiencing food insecurity, with a state-wide food insecurity rate of almost 8 percent. One in eight people and one in seven children face hunger in Virginia – meaning that over one million people in the state are facing hunger and almost 300,000 of them are children.
The HCPS district already has multiple programs in place to combat hunger and food insecurity for its students, including free meals programs throughout the school year and over the summer.
After hearing there may be an increased local need, The Wild Stallions Car Club took it upon themselves to organize a series of donations with the aim to reduce food insecurity for Henry County students.
The club is a community based group that strives to make a difference in the community it is based in, Event Coordinator Donna Preston said.
“If anybody needs anything then we try to at least donate and see what we can do,” Preston said. “Most of the guys in the group know what it is to be without … we weren’t going to let any kid go hungry.”
The group’s most recent community endeavor included trips to all 14 schools in the division, dropping off at least one box of non-perishable food at each location’s food pantry, and dropping off additional food at the Center for Community Learning.
“These types of donations help our families in the community and provide food to students in need during the breaks when they are not at school,” Bassett High School Principal Michael Minter said. “It is great to know that organizations locally are supporting our local schools with these much-needed supplies.”
“Support like this makes a meaningful difference for our families, especially as we head into the holiday season,” Mount Olivet Elementary School Principal Kelsey Gardner added. “Acts of kindness like this remind our students that our community truly cares about them.”
