REDDING, Calif. — Officials with the organization Northern Valley Catholic Social Service are partnering with local youth to help fight food insecurity for students in Redding.
The Healthy Eating Helping Hands program, which is led by NVCSS and their CalFresh department, assists Enterprise Elementary School District students. NVCSS Nutrition Educator Tierra Snow told us the program began in January 2024 following the NVCSS team noticing hungry students in the district.
The program offers healthy meals for impoverished youth, with food being prepared by students from the Enterprise High School culinary program under the leadership of Chef James Leedy.
Snow said the local high schoolers gain in several ways by serving others.
“It’s giving them confidence in the work that they’re doing with knowing that they are getting those meals as well and they are providing nutritious meals to other students,” Snow said before adding, “And they are changing the stigma around food insecurity in Shasta County.”
On May 2 at Enterprise High School, around 60 students made 240 meals for 40 children in the program.
The high schoolers told us food insecurity is an issue they’re passionate about, saying it’s a rewarding experience giving back to kids with nutritious meals like homemade quesadillas, sandwiches, or pizza.
“Some of my friends and family are struggling with [food insecurity],” Enterprise High School student and program contributor Tristin Funches said. “So it really helps me to know that we’re doing this.”
Fellow student and contributor Brooke Fieseler added, “We try to get the most fresh produce, and we’re making things like sandwiches, really nice breakfasts, some dinners. It’s just a nice, wide variety. And it’s a really good program to be a part of.”
According to Feeding America, one in five kids in the U.S. experience hunger.
Enterprise Elementary School District Communications Coordinator Matthew Baker said the program is helping solve the problem locally, with the students who benefit from Healthy Eating Helping Hands getting four meals each weekend.
Chef Leedy said of the program, “Hopefully, in the years to come, it’s going to grow, and we’re just going to continue, and potentially this could be one or two periods of the day that we’re serving other kids.”
NVCSS officials told us they’re accepting donations for the program, saying that the more the community shows support, the more students they can help get the food services they need.
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