ST. GEORGE — The Shoppes at Zion will be holding a snack donation drive for local students called "Give Back with a Snack," in partnership with the Washington County School District Foundation's Counselor Closet Snack Pantry.
Locals can contribute to the snack drive, which runs Aug. 1-15, by donating at certain stores to reach a goal of filling 300 boxes for Washington County School District students. Those stores include Fr3nzy, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Social District Boutique & Bistro, Hawaii Fluid Art, Anytime Fitness, Red Rock Spas, Slice House Pizza, Del Sol & Cariloha, Capriotti's and Berries 'N Cream.
In a written statement to supporters of the Washington County School District Foundation, Administrative Assistant and Counselor Closet Founder Diane Tyler noted that the Counselor Closet Program "provides essential resources to students in need, including clothing, hygiene products, school supplies, and nutritious snacks."
"The snack portion of the Counselor Closet addresses situations where students may experience hunger outside of regular meal times," Tyler said. "For example, some students arrive late after breakfast service has ended, or may skip lunch because the meal options didn't appeal to them. Others may feel hungry in the afternoon due to the timing of meals or increased activity. Having easy-to-grab, individually packaged snacks available ensures these students can refuel, stay focused, and fully engage in learning throughout the school day."
Tyler said that stocking snacks through community donations helps to "relieve the burden on school counselors, secretaries and teachers, who often purchase snacks out of their own pockets to help hungry students."
