The Middle College at Skyline College students spend the morning volunteering their time at the San Francisco and Marin Food Bank which provides nutritious, fresh food to 225,000 individual every year. According to the food bank 1 in 4 residents in San Francisco and Marin are in need of food assistance. Their volunteer efforts were centered on the repacking Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios that had been mislabeled by General Mills in Lodi, CA production facility as being “gluten free.”
In a single three-hour shift, students formed work teams that removed the sealed packages of breakfast cereals from boxes, relabeled and then repacked them to protect consumers with wheat allergies, celiac disease or gluten intolerance. As they removed cereal, they collected the redeemable coupons with the goal of donating them to the elementary schools they attended in the South San Francisco Unified School District. Their team efforts resulted in the repacking of 6,212 boxes or 4,312 pounds of cereal to be distributed to food pantries, children’s breakfast programs and soup kitchens throughout San Francisco and Marin counties.
Community-service learning experiences are an important component of the Middle College at Skyline College. Students are expected to participate in activities and services that emphasize leadership development, service learning, and cultural sensitivity through real-time learning experiences. Community service experiences such as volunteering in the food bank are intended to promote greater social inclusion, enhance student confidence, and develop both team-working and interpersonal skills.
Article by Raymond Jones | Photo by Marina Center
