This story is from the Webster-Kirkwood Times written by Miki McKee Koelsch on Nov 27, 2023
Clickity clack, clickity clack the sound of wagon wheels hitting the sidewalk cracks. There’s a wagon full of food … and another … and another, 36 in total!
This Wagon Train of Food went on for blocks, making its way along a mile-long route from The College School to Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Webster Groves on Friday, Nov. 17.
Each wagon was pulled by a second or third grader from The College School, accompanied by “buddies” from the seventh grade, teachers and administrators. Roughly 60 kids delivered over 5,000 food items.
Emmanuel Episcopal Church has had a food pantry since 1973. For the past 36 years, The College School has partnered with the pantry to fill the shelves with the help of a massive food drive. All classes collected food items but, per tradition, the second and third grade classes are charged with delivering the food via wagons. As students were walking along Newport and Bompart avenues, there were even neighbors bringing out bags of food to add to their wagons.
The Wagon Train is the culmination of second and third grade lessons that include community awareness and service, counting, math and graphing. In these classes, which are collaborated by Will Langton and Matt Diller, students learn about food insecurity and disparity, food deserts, lack of nutritional food options and how kids can help. The students even provide “fun foods” for the pantry such as birthday cakes, which can be too costly for some families.
Diller has been part of The College School’s Wagon Train of Food for three decades.
“This is multi-age learning to civic engagement. The kids apply education to make a difference in their neighborhood,” Diller said. “It’s transformative, as the kids learn to identify themselves as agents of positive change.”
Damacia Brooks, 7, was part of the Wagon Train of Food on Nov. 17.
“I wanted to help people who might be food insecure, or who don’t have the quality or quantity of food they might need. I pulled a wagon the whole way!” she said.
Waiting at the Food Center (pantry) were roughly 20 volunteers from Emmanuel Episcopal, Holy Redeemer and other area churches.
Several Webster University students joined them, along with adjunct professor Annie Stevens. Stevens teaches first-year seminars including the “Pursuit of Happiness” and “I Am Malala,” referencing the female Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai. Volunteering to assist with the wagon train is a mini-project of the seminar students.
Once at their destination, a kids’ bucket brigade was formed for hand-to-hand delivery of food items from the wagons until organized in different labeled boxes to be transported to the pantry and storage.
The demand for assistance has grown significantly and now outweighs the supply.
“In the past, we basically served the 63119 area, but with the pandemic, we opened up to whoever,” Food Center Director Charlotte Martin said. “Over the past two to three years, we more than doubled the number of clients served and now support a box food pantry by the [nearby] bus stop, and [ready-to-serve items] for the cathedral downtown, which provides food for homeless individuals.”
The Food Center also has an important relationship with Webster-Rock Hill ministries.
“About 70% to 80% of our clients are referred by Webster-Rock Hill Ministries, and Emmanuel Episcopal refers to them for other things. It’s a good partnership,” Martin said.
Emmanuel’s Food Center sends monetary donations to Webster-Rock Hill Ministries for fresh food vouchers.
“It used to be that the pantry brought in more single parents, but there seems to be a trend toward older adults caring for their grandchildren,” Martin said. “We’ve always served college students, but are getting more, mostly international. We invite them to come for dinners and conduct a coat drive for them as well.”
As director, Martin watches over the overall process and gets the word out. She is joined on the organizing committee by Christi Maginn, who procures food items and monetary donations to keep the pantry stocked, and Gail Range, who is in charge of coordinating volunteers.