Thomas Hunter Middle School’s Family, Career and Community Leaders of America program embarked on a program to address food insecurity in the community through its “Every 1, Bring 1: Feed Many” project.

This year’s National Outreach Program for the FCCLA is an organization called “Explore. Act. Tell.” The project-based learning program teaches sixth-12th grade students to understand and combat food insecurity in their community.

When the local FCCLA students were brainstorming about community service projects, the overwhelming response was to help the homeless in the region, said FCCLA advisor Michelle Williams.

Being discouraged with the thought of the magnitude of need, the children were challenged with the thought, “What if every person did one little part,” Williams asked. After further discussion, the students embarked on its new project. Children began to collect non-perishable breakfast food items, a plea was put out on social media and students began to decorate paper lunch bags with encouraging sayings and drawings.

Within a month, the students had packed 175 “Breakfast Bags” and on Feb. 28, they presented the bags to Wendy Roundy of Helping the Homeless Ministries. Roundy spoke with the students about the profound need in Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex and surrounding areas and how important the bags will be to those who will receive them.

Going forward, the students are excited to not only continue but also to partner with the members of the THMS Bible Club to provide ongoing support of this valuable project, Williams said. She added that the students would like to thank all of the parents, friends, community members and congregation of Living Waters Church for contributing food items and bags to support the project.