Students Nourish Their Community

Students from South Washington Alternative High School (SWAHS) have embarked a new mission to fight hunger in their own community. SWAHS prides itself on hands-on learning, personalized pacing and connecting education to the real world. This philosophy extends beyond the school and directly into the heart of the community through a weekly volunteering partnership with the Basic Needs Food Market in Cottage Grove.

“I call them the dream team,” says Basic Needs Food Operations Manager Tracy Klika. "These students are incredible. They bring an energy and a willingness to learn and are willing to do whatever tasks need to be done and they do it with speed and a great attitude.”

The tasks the student volunteers perform are varied and vital. Students break down massive pallets of donations, clean shelves and sort and organize various foods and household goods. The work requires teamwork, communication and a strong sense of responsibility.

“We work great together here,” says senior Kaylee Denzer. “Being in a fresh setting and having tasks that need to get done, we all click into our roles so easily and work together.”

"At first, I just thought it was something to do during senior seminar class," says senior Jackson Krauss. "But then you see the amount of food that comes in and goes out, and you realize how many people in our own town are struggling. It’s made me more aware and less judgmental. I feel like I’m actually part of the solution."

"It's about showing our students that they have the power to make a tangible difference," says SWAHS teacher Katherine Harmeyer. "Here, they can see the immediate impact of their work. They experience service learning in real time and build their empathy and agency."

The benefits of the partnership flow both ways. Students gain more than just community service learning; they develop practical job skills like inventory management and workplace etiquette. More importantly, they build self-confidence and a renewed sense of purpose.

"Being able to come here and volunteer actually is really refreshing and helps me decompress," shares senior Keyera Hill. "Here, I feel capable. I'm good at what I do. It feels good to be needed and to know that what you're doing matters."

“Volunteering at the food shelf has really inspired me to see the world differently,” says senior Eliana Lopez. “It feels amazing to put good into the world; it definitely made me want to help out my community more.” 

These students demonstrate that actions, no matter how small they seem, can nourish a community, one box, one meal, one act of kindness at a time.

The Basic Needs Food Market is always in need of support. To learn more about volunteering or making a donation, visit basicneeds.org.