FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Two South Florida sisters have taken an idea to help their community and those dealing with food insecurity to another level by bringing it to their local high school.
Club Take Action was created by 11th grade student Sabrina Navarra and her 10th grade sister, Valentina Navarra at Fort Lauderdale High School at the start of the ‘24 school year.
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Sabrina pioneered the program at her local elementary school, Virginia Shuman Young back in 2019-2020. The club’s main focus at the high school is food rescue. This is when unopened foods that would have otherwise been thrown away by students are donated to local food pantries to feed food-insecure families throughout the city of Fort Lauderdale.
Students at the Title I school are responsible for collecting any unopened and untouched qualifying food items that the student got on their lunch tray but do not want to eat. Then they monitor, organize and put away the food for pick up or delivery to the local food pantry. South Plantation High School also runs a similar program within Broward County Public Schools.
“Our main focus is to bring student awareness about challenges the less fortunate citizens of our community face today as well as local environmental issues”, said Sabrina Navarra. “Students want to take action- we can start campaigns, make different drives and create projects and programs that will directly benefit the environment and our community”, says Valentina Navarra.
FLHS has paired with the Pantry of Broward, who is excited for the donations.
More than 50 students attended the first meeting for the club in September when each student made a “blessing bag”, with socks and toiletries, which were distributed to the local homeless.
At the October meeting, Ft Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trentalis came by to applaud the students’ efforts and to brainstorm ways to pair up with the club for additional help.
Ms. Lisa Quinn, one of the club’s advisors and a teacher at FLHS sat with Mr. Christopher Ruiz, Assistant Program Manager of Nutrition Education & Training of Food and Nutrition Services with Broward Schools are helping the club work out the details.
The school has already had two refrigerators donated to help with their efforts. FLHS is fully student volunteer ready, but is still in need of donated refrigerators, coolers, thermometers and a rolling, cooling kiosk.
Any donations, monetary or actual items are welcome and those interested in helping can reach out to Lisa.Quinn@browardschools.com
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