Texas Student-Run Grocery Store Provides Free Food, Clothing To Needy Families Amid Pandemic

A principal in Texas has opened a student-run grocery store to help the people in their community after the pandemic caused a lot of families to fall below the poverty line.

Anthony Love of Linda Tutt High School (LTHS) in Sanger, Texas started the grocery store in November 2020 after noticing that many of the students in their district were in lack of basic necessities. Families of these students can receive food, shoes, jackets and other items from the store, CBN News reported.

 The LTHS Student Grocery Store is stocked with free food and clothing which aims to help the families with their basic needs until the end of the pandemic when people are allowed to work again.

According to NBC News, the store sells items based on a point system. Shoppers purchase items using points instead of money. Students get points according to the size of their families. A small family comprising of three or less people is given 40 points while a large one with six or more family members are allotted 65 points. Points are replenished weekly. Items cost one to three points in the store. So with points provided to the students' families, they are able to buy a lot of items.

In addition, students can earn more points through positive referrals of "outstanding" performance in class or around the school building. They can also earn points through on-campus jobs such as working in the school garden, as assistants or mentors.

To gain real-world experience and learn responsibility, students are required to apply for jobs in the grocery store. They have to fill out application forms, provide two references and maintain passing grades.

Further to NBC News' report, the school was able to help 32 families in just a night in December 2020, as posted in its Facebook page. The school was assisted and joined by other individuals, a Christian ministry and some charitable organizations.

"We were honored to help 32 families tonight at the LTHS Student Grocery Store. Thank you to Paul Juarez -First Refuge Ministries, Dr. Ann Hughes, Jennie Flaa, Betty Morales, Maritza Garcia, Jackie Wilson and the Love family for helping us tonight. We also had volunteers from the LDS come assist us tonight, and we thank them for sharing their hearts and mission with us and our community," the school said.

The principal has also revealed that local businesses have been providing financial support to the store to keep it open.

"We're trying to spread good things and we want our kids to move on and to continue to do good for the community and for the people around them," the principal stated.

Hunter Weeterman, the store manager, said that seeing the smiles of people is "rewarding."

"I like seeing the smiles and seeing like how appreciative they are and knowing that they are thankful that we're doing something like this. I think it's very important because a lot of people don't see the good, even though it's hard right now," Weeterman said.

The grocery store keeps its door open every day so everyone can go at their most convenient time.