Students Prepare Food Packs for Neighbors in Need

The MedinaCares Community Service Club—made up of 12 middle school students and 18 elementary students—is dedicated to learning about community needs and taking meaningful action to support neighbors. This semester, students have been exploring social issues affecting families in our area, with a special focus on food insecurity.

In recent meetings, students studied how families rely on programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and how the federal government shutdown caused families to lose or reduce the benefits they depend on. Students connected these real-world events to our school’s Value of the Month: Empathy, discussing how understanding others’ struggles can inspire meaningful service. This work reflects the MedinaCares vision: To make Medina Academy a beacon of compassion, civic engagement, and positive change for our neighbors and beyond.

On Friday, November 14, 2025, 16 MedinaCares students visited Essentials First in Bellevue to assist individuals facing food insecurity. Together, they assembled 119 ready-to-eat food packs, thoughtfully designed to provide nourishment, comfort, and immediate support.

Each food pack included:

• Cooked white rice

• Lentils

• Noodles

• Peach cup

• Vegetable pouch

• Applesauce

• Water

• Cookies

• Nuts for protein

• Granola bar for instant energy

• Goldfish snack

• Spoon

Students worked collaboratively to pack the meals efficiently, gaining firsthand insight into how community organizations respond to increasing needs—especially during moments of crisis such as SNAP benefit cuts.

At the end of the session, Essentials First presented students with a certificate of recognition to honor their contributions and commitment to serving the community.

What’s Next

All Medina Academy students at the Redmond campus (grades 4–10) are now able to sign up for the next service opportunity: a Thanksgiving sandwich-making event with IWCC (Immigrant Women’s Community Center) on Friday, November 21, 2025, from 4:00–6:00 PM at the Together Center in Redmond. Sandwiches will be donated to local homeless shelters—spreading warmth and kindness during the holiday season.

A second opportunity, also open to all Medina Academy Redmond campus students, is Share Your Blessings with Essentials First on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, from 12:00–2:00 PM. Share Your Blessings is an annual Thanksgiving meal that brings comfort, care, and community to unhoused neighbors on the Eastside. See all open volunteering opportunities here

Thank you to our students for caring deeply and helping make a meaningful difference in our community!