As teachers and students return to school following the holiday season, Box Tops for Education donated $20,000 to Oakland Elementary School in McDonough.
In addition to Oakland, Box Tops for Education donated to 13 other schools in need nationwide (in total $280,000). According to The Education Trust, low-income schools receive approximately $1,000 less per student in state and local funding, which contributes to inequity and lost opportunities for these students.
As a Title 1 school, Oakland Elementary receives federal funding to support the academic achievement of low-income students, and with 79% of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch, school leaders are determined to provide the proper nutrition for all their students.
Oakland Elementary School Principal Andre Johnson said it feels amazing to be given a blessing in the form of $20,000 from Box Tops for Education.
“I’m a person that is for the students. It feels amazing to be given this opportunity to be back into their lives and just so back into the community because this community has a new principal here. This community has opened their arms and their doors and accepted me as their leader of their children and their education,” he said. “My whole purpose is just to make the school more a hub for the community, so that’s why we were so excited for this $20,000 Box Top donation.
Additionally, Oakland Elementary has transformed Box Tops’ $20K donation into a new garden-to-table program, something they’ve been wanting to start for quite some time but didn’t know how it would be funded. The $20,000 donation will also be used to maintain mentor groups and angel funds for the lunchroom to ensure every student receives a nourishing meal each day. The program began in August 2023.
Box Tops Brand Experience Manager Lilly Moeding said Box Tops for Education has always believed that a child’s education is the foundation to achieving their fullest potential.
“We all know schools do not receive enough funding, sadly, so that was true when the program launched in 1996, which continues to be true today in 2024. So as part of General Mills’ commitment to advance equity in education, Access is working to help students in schools where support is most needed,” she said. “That’s the reason why we recently made this donation of $20,000 to 14 schools in need and that’s what we call these low-income schools that really could use extra help through our program. We recently made this $20,000 donation to 14 of them, and Oakland Elementary was one of the schools that were selected.”
By nurturing nature, Oakland Elementary is nourishing minds so students are ready to grow inside and outside the classroom.
Willie Marie Holmes, Oakland Elementary’s mental health and wellness facilitator, is leading these efforts with help from the school’s Young Men Rising program. Together, they have already set the wheels in motion by building garden beds and benches, planting seedlings in grow bags, and more.
“We’re very thankful to be selected by Box Tops for Education for the money because we believe the same as them that education is the foundation for our children to reach their fullest potential. We are there to ensure that our children are receiving a quality education,” Holmes said.
The garden-to-table program, according to Holmes, offers mental health and wellness for students because it gives them a mentor to help them talk about school, soil, and how to nurture planets and grow them.
“It gives them an outlet to talk to a mentor about their well-being, health, and what they’re doing in school. On the other side of the garden program and mentorship is that we take what they plant, and we cook it. We do cooking demonstrations with the students, we show them how to make collard greens, a salad, and things of that nature,” he said. “We bring the parents in, so they can receive the same plant skills into their home. It’s a full circle because we want to put a more sense of belonging in the school and make sure everyone has a great mentor.”
“We’re building connections with students, staff, community partners, and with the community and with parents, we’re forging relationships through our initiatives,” Holmes said.
Additionally, Holmes said the garden program is near and dear to her heart.
“I really love the garden program, and it has really helped our students with having the opportunity to learn how to grow fresh vegetables and just eating it and knowing the taste of growing food without any of the pesticide tastes like,” she said. “The garden is also a place where we can get out there and talk. We can get there and talk about issues that may be related to school or may not be related to school.”
Furthermore, Holmes said without the help of Young Men Rising, there would be no garden. The nonprofit helped build the garden beds in the school’s courtyard, according to Holmes.
“They have donated so much time and donated some of their own resources with helping us get it started until we got our funding from Box Tops for Education,” she said. “Young Men Rising is vital to the success of the school garden. It would not be what it is today without them and I’m so very thankful for them.”
In five years, Holmes said she wants to see fruit trees all around the building.
“I want to see anywhere that we can garden that this space is being used to grow fresh food for staff, students, and the community,” she said.
Both Holmes and Johnson said they want this program to be about the community and the kids.
“It’s not just providing food, relationships, cooking opportunities, and mentorships here. We want them to grow and thrive in the home as well,” Johnson said. “That being a touch point between siblings, between mother and father, between grandparents, aunts, and uncles because as a part of our school, we’re tied to one school with 79% of our students being low income. Currently, with increased rent, and housing instability, you never know if from one day, if you’re living in your home where you live, in which you’re on, or how you may transition.
Johnson said in addition to the partnership, they are also buying greenhouses for the garden.
“Even in these months where we actually have the winter garden going, we can start preparing for our spring and our summer garden by planting seedlings in the greenhouse,” he said. “I’m grateful for this donation from Box Tops. The $20,000 has just launched us into a new era for the garden-to-table program. We are already seeing a transformation in our students with their relationships with teachers, other students because of the mentoring, and the way that they’re caring for the garden.”
Moeding also said participating in Box Tops for Education is a “really easy way for anyone to support their school of choice or a school in need.
“All you need to do is download the Box Tops for Education app and scan your grocery receipt; we’re no longer clipping. The program is now fully digital when you scan your grocery receipt, including any box taps, and participating products, and includes family favorites like Cheerios, Annie’s Mac and Cheese, and Nature Valley Granola bars, you’ll earn cash for your selected school, so you simply scan your receipt in the app. The app reads your receipt and instantly puts that cash into a pending account for your school of choice, and then we mail checks to schools twice a year in December and in April.”
