Menchville Opens 2015 Lead2Feed Program

“Our pride is in taking a bite out of hunger” –Class of ’19’s Lead to Feed team.

Menchville High School kicked off their involvement in the national Lead2Feed program on Wednesday, September 23^rd by herding about 430 freshmen into the bus lot. Once there, students engaged in a Privilege Walk led by Activity Director Pete Mercier, and English Teacher Allison Nuckols.

Lead2Feed (L2F) is a non-profit, student leadership program that “nurtures a new generation of student leaders, while working to end hunger or another community need,” L2F schools partner with a local charity and are then eligible to compete for chance to win over $275,000 in charity grants and $150,000 in technology grants for their school. Started in the 2014/2015 school year, faculty and students were able to raise a total of 6,000 cans; earning MHS a second place rating on L2F’s board and the Peninsula Food-bank a 10,000 dollar grant.

During September 23rds 1st period assembly, the Class of 2019 was introduced to the Lead2Feed program and given a goal; create one massive class project. While the project still remains undecided, students were actively engaged in the Privilege Walk activity. Designed to help students see their classmates in a different light, students responded to questions by stepping forward if it applied to their upbringing. Questions included; “Have you ever been embarrassed about your clothes or household growing up?” “Does your family expect you to go to college?” “How many people were raised in a two parent household?” ect. The activity was later explained by Nuckols; “The point of the privilege walk was to show there is inequality everywhere. But the beauty of it is when you join together it doesn’t matter.” Mercier added, “Not everyone comes from the same circumstances, and the point of this was to show that and help build an understanding, not to embarrass anyone.” At the end of the activity students were asked to write about three key events that have formed who they are today, and about three people who have had an influence on them. The assembly was closed by Mrs. Nuckols with a quote from David Brooks book The Road to Character.

Parallel to last years’ experimental program, Menchville High School has chosen to partner with the Peninsula Food Bank who serves an average of 100,000 plus people yearly in the Hampton Roads area.  After last year’s success, other NNPS schools such as Warwick and Woodside have also decided to jump on the bandwagon. With the added competition in the area, Menchville has a high expectation for success this year with the Co’19, and plans for them to meet after school will soon be announced.