Packing with Purpose: Students Lead the Way

In partnership with local organizations, the Hometown Food Security Project co-led the Nourishing Champions snack-packing event at Austin High School.

By Ethan Watters 

The recent gathering on the east lawn of Austin High School had all the elements of the raucous homecoming celebrations taking place across the country. There were balloons, pumping music and an overflow of school spirit. What distinguished the Austin event was a shared sense of higher purpose. The 1,500 students had gathered to assemble 24,000 snack packs to support the community.

The event began with students writing notes of affirmation and encouragement to include in the snack packs. “You’ve got this,” read one. “You have it in you to achieve great things,” read another. Once the notes were written among the 250 tables, the students switched to creating the packs. Each class — freshmen through seniors — worked enthusiastically to assemble their snack packs as quickly as possible. They pushed to earn points as part of a friendly competition between classes, a long-standing AHS tradition during homecoming week. Teachers hustled for their students as well, hurrying from their respective tables to report packing results with the spirit of competitive racers. In less than an hour, the snack packs were packed in 600 boxes.

“Participating in events like this definitely increases awareness about food insecurity among the students,” said Ailani Thiravong, an Austin High School sophomore and student council vice president. “It’s great to see the student body coming together to support each other and learn how we can help solve this issue.”

That excitement was palpable from the moment packing began. The same energy was also evident prior to the students’ arrival, as eager volunteers in teal shirts scattered throughout the school grounds with smiles on their faces, all working toward the same common goal.

Local Groups Band Together

The event, dubbed Nourishing Champions, was created by Hormel Foods in partnership with the Austin Public Schools, United Way of Mower County, and the Hometown Food Security Project. MATTER, a Minnesota-based NGO, was engaged to help with logistics and supply the contents of the snack packs. The event turned out to be the biggest school event that MATTER has taken part in, with students packing the most packs in an hour.

The Nourishing Champions event was designed to deepen the student’s awareness of the challenges surrounding food insecurity. Through hands-on participation, these young changemakers are seeing firsthand the impact they can make and are identifying solutions. Opportunities like these equip them with the understanding, tools and collaborative mindset needed to drive positive change in their own hometown and beyond. 

Feeding Kids, Filling Pantries

The MATTERbox snack packs, containing graham crackers, dried fruit and nut pouches, were being distributed primarily to students involved in sports and after-school programs. Additionally, they will help stock local school pantries and provide support to other schools and area nonprofit organizations with additional support from local partners Chicanos Latinos Unidos En Servicio (CLUES) and Austin Aspires. 

“Teenagers sometimes get a bad rap, but the reality is, at least among the teenagers I have observed, they want to help their fellow students. They have empathy and they’re compassionate,” said Mary Weikum, community advocate and former director of food nutrition at APS. “And an event like this brings them all together and really showcases that.”

Nourishing Champions follows the success of “A Work of Art: Creating Food Security,” an event held recently at the SPAM® Museum that brought together community leaders, local students and the public to foster awareness and meaningful discussions about solutions to food insecurity. 

Doing Good at Home and Abroad

“Hormel Foods has a long history of going around the world doing international work. And this was a time for us to really focus on our hometown, to show the impact we can have here,” said Tammy Snee, community advocate and member of the Hometown Food Security Project. “And also to share the message that people can make this impact in their hometown. Whether it’s big or small, it just takes that first step and coming together as a group.”

More than half of the 150 volunteers on hand were Hormel Foods team members, many of whom began arriving at Austin High School as early as 7 a.m. to begin setting up tables and carrying boxes.

“The combined energy of Hormel team members, community volunteers and the school community was incredible to be a part of,” said Jim Snee, CEO and president of Hormel Foods, who was on hand to help students assemble the food packs. “This event wasn’t just about packing snack boxes, it was about coming together to make a meaningful difference. It’s moments like these that remind us of the positive impact we can have when we work together for a common cause.”