Credit: Standard Democrat
Sikeston Bulldog Pantry creators Brent Mullin and Lynne DeWitt always knew there was a need, but they never could have predicted the positive reception the program’s received since it began a year ago this month.
In the past 12 months, the program has evolved from a few shelves filled with bins of snacks and miscellaneous items in a Title I classroom at Lee Hunter Elementary to a 12-by-28-foot storage building filled with canned goods, boxed food items, drinks, school supplies, snacks, breakfast items, clothing and much more to fit needs of students and families throughout the entire Sikeston R-6 district.
That is the other notable change: the pantry now serves the entire R-6 district and not only Lee Hunter students.
“I didn’t think it would be this big,” said Mullin, who is a parent in the district and a Sikeston Department of Public Safety officer. “Anytime we have ever needed something, somebody drops off what we asked for.”
Everything in the pantry is donated or money is donated and used to purchase the items, Mullin and DeWitt said, adding they are grateful to the community for their support.
Mullin and DeWitt, who is a retired R-6 educator, post needed items on the Pantry’s Facebook page on a weekly basis. Community members check the page and always come through with the items, they said.
Mullin said he saw the idea of the school pantry in a magazine; he shared it with DeWitt. They purchased a few items to get started: Vienna sausages, Pop Tarts, cereal bars, sample-sized toiletries to fill needs as they arose by students at Lee Hunter.
Immediately the pantry was a success because it was filling needs, such as feeding an empty stomach or providing shampoo and soap, and taking away the worry, which allowed the students to focus on learning.
“Their grades are increasing and their discipline referrals are decreasing,” said Lee Hunter Elementary Building Principal Kimberly Pinkard of students who utilize the pantry.
In December, the pantry was accessed 247 times, DeWitt said. A tally sheet is kept each month and every time someone uses the pantry, they make a tally on that day. For example, the pantry was utilized 35 times on a recent Monday in January.
An anonymous donor provided money to pay for the pantry’s new building, which opened this month, and several businesses and individuals have also donated supplies and labor for the project.
When students at Lee Hunter have a need, they can visit the pantry with a counselor. For those in other buildings in the district, the counselors from the other schools will come to Lee Hunter and get the items needed for students at their schools.
“This program has grown and we’re able to service the needs of our kids. It’s one less thing for our kids to worry about, and they can enjoy the school day,” said R-6 Superintendent Tom Williams.
The Bulldog Pantry is not only impacting the Sikeston district as other local districts are now looking to Sikeston to start a similar program in their schools.
When New Madrid County Central High School senior Karlie Frazier wrote an essay to the New Madrid County R-1 School Board. As a cadet teacher at Lilbourn Elementary, Frazier wrote about ideas to improve the district by implementing a program similar to the Bulldog Pantry.
“I just explained it all to them and told them how we could do it,” Frazier said about her essay, which ultimately garnered her a nomination by her district for the John T. Belcher Scholarship through the Missouri School Boards Association.
R-1 Superintendent Dr. Sam Duncan and Frazier toured the Bulldog Pantry on Thursday and met with DeWitt, Mullin and other R-6 school officials to gather ideas and information.
“We loved her ideas,” Duncan said of Frazier’s essay.
He said the visit to Sikeston would help with the initial phase of his district starting a pantry.
“Its a wonderful idea,” Duncan said. “There are so many needs.”
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