For 20 years, Giddens School was located in the Central District and had a close relationship with their local food bank. Serving their neighborhood was always a part of the plan.
The school's new location in Seattle’s Rainier Valley opened just months before the coronavirus pandemic but that didn’t slow their efforts to serve the neighborhood. The school is working with the city of Seattle Navigation team to develop personal relationships with some neighbors experiencing homelessness who live behind the campus.
Giddens School delivers water to the group each week and provides items like coats, first aid kits, fire extinguishers and even built outdoor sinks to help with santitation. They even helped to purchase an RV for one of the neighbors.
“It’s really important when you’re working with kids that they have a real tangible way to engage and help with real problems that we’re all facing right now,” said Head of School Dr. Morva McDonald.
Another project led by the fifth-grade students may sound familiar. The Little Free Library box sits out front of the school. With the help of a parent who is also a muralist, Giddens School also has built a custom “Little Free Pantry” that the kids keep stocked with food, toiletries and other essentials.
The beautifully painted pantry is stocked by the students and the need is apparent when they find the shelves bare.
Some neighbors give donations and others take what they need with no questions asked.
McDonald said the school is empowering kids to make a difference in providing the community a zero-barrier access point to help fill the gaps in the food system.
"Giddens School is really about helping kids learn about the work of justice, and to learn about the work of justice, you have to look around and see what's in front of you," McDonald said.