Stafford County Public Schools, the Stafford Education Foundation, Amazon, and the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank opened two automated community food kiosks Thursday at North Stafford High School and Shirley C. Heim Middle School. The units operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are funded by a $200,000 Amazon investment that is part of a larger $560,000 partnership announced in May. That partnership also includes $360,000 over three years for teaching grants.
“No student should have to sit in a classroom hungry, and no parent should have to choose between groceries and the electric bill,” organizers said at the ribbon cutting. Amazon Stafford Data Center Area Manager Andrew Trapasco said the company is “proud to put $200,000 behind” the kiosks “in partnership with Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank” because the approach “respects them and preserves their dignity.” School Board Chair Dr. Elizabeth Warner and Superintendent Dr. Daniel Smith said students cannot reach their potential or focus on learning when basic needs go unmet. Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank President and CEO Dan Maher cited a recent statewide study that found 42 percent of Virginia residents reported food insecurity in the past year, including 40 percent in the region and 44 percent among families with children. The kiosks build on an existing unit at Rising Star Early Childhood Education Center that opened in 2023.
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Full press release:
Today marks another important step in our shared commitment to supporting students, families, and our greater Stafford community. Through an extraordinary partnership with Amazon, Stafford County Public Schools, and the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank, we are expanding access to nutritious food in a way that is convenient, accessible, and dignified. These kiosks will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing another opportunity for families to access the resources they need.
No student should have to sit in a classroom hungry, and no parent should have to choose between groceries and the electric bill. These kiosks mean that help is right around the corner any time of day. The Stafford Education Foundation is proud to support partnerships like this one.
Amazon’s support today comes from that shared commitment, a commitment to education, to strengthening local communities, and creating opportunities for the next generation. Wherever Amazon operates, we strive to be good neighbors, but in Stafford, it’s not just a community in which we work, it’s a community in which we live.
We’re proud to put $200,000 behind them in partnership with Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank. But the kiosks are just one piece of a much bigger commitment to this county. Alongside this, Amazon is investing $360,000 over three years to Stafford County Public Schools through teaching grants, putting resources straight into the classroom and directly into our teachers’ hands.
And we bring our Think Big STEM program into middle schools across Stafford to get kids excited about STEM and building things. And just this month, we provided a $15,000 grant for Coats for Kids program so that children will have a warm coat this winter. And our relationship with the food bank goes back further than today. Our team has been volunteering with them for the last couple of years and we’re excited to serve again as a champion sponsor for their hearty holiday food distribution this December.
Our responsibility to students extends well beyond providing quality education and we recognize that students cannot reach their full potential when their basic needs are not being met. Addressing those needs requires strong partnerships and a shared commitment to supporting every student. These kiosks demonstrate what is possible when our schools, our community organization, and our business partners work together to address the challenges facing our families.
At Stafford Schools, our commitment to student success begins with ensuring that each and every child has the support and the resources they need to learn, grow, and thrive. We know that students cannot fully focus on learning when they’re hungry or their basic needs have not been met. Meeting those needs are foundational to our mission to serving each and every child in Stafford County, and this commitment guides our work both inside and outside of the classroom.
Food insecurity is a reality for families throughout our community and access to nutritious food should not be limited by traditional hours of operation or other barriers. These new kiosks at North Stafford High School and Shirley Heim Middle School provide another opportunity to meet families where they are, offering convenient, around-the-clock access to essential food resources.
Our school is deeply connected to the families and neighborhoods we serve. We recognize that supporting our students means supporting the peoples and communities around them. Having this kiosk on our campus provides a valuable resource, not only for our school families, but for anyone in our community who may need assistance. We are especially grateful that this resource will be available at any time, giving individuals and families greater flexibility to access nutritious food when they need it.
On behalf of Shirley C. Heim Middle School, thank you for including our school in this meaningful partnership. We’re excited to have a second community food kiosk located on our campus, expanding the reach of this initiative and making nutritious food more accessible to families throughout the entire Stafford County.
As educators, we see firsthand the importance of meeting students’ basic needs. When families have access to resources that support their well-being, our students benefit both inside as well as outside of the classroom. These kiosks also send an important message to our community. Support is available and no one should feel alone when facing these challenges.
Our food bank has the responsibility of leading community efforts to reduce hunger across the region, spreading from Stafford to Caroline County and from Orange across to King George County. We cannot fulfill that responsibility without a strong network of committed community members.
Today’s pride is tempered, though, by a recent statewide hunger study. That study reported that 42 percent of state residents reported facing food insecurity in the last year. That food insecurity rate in our region was severely high, with 40 percent reporting food insecurity and a reported rate of 44 percent among families with children. For educators, this may not be startling news, but for our community it should be sobering news.
The kiosks we open today are not a full solution to that hunger crisis, but are certainly a needed community investment in improving food access for families. With schools serving as a natural community hub for families, it is hard to imagine a better place to deliver food and increase ease of access for struggling families. This self-help technology here and at Heim Middle School will make a valuable difference for hundreds of families and connect them to an experience of support that will be more respectful of their dignity and choice.
