BETHALTO - The Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 has officially opened the Eagle Nation Community Box, a way to combat food insecurity.
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Located behind the Central Office in Bethalto, the Community Box allows people to leave and take food items, school supplies, hygiene products, and other necessities. Civic Memorial High School Principal Justin Newell helped oversee the project, and he is pleased to report it’s already working.
“Believe it or not, I’ve already seen people dropping food off and getting food, which is what it’s all about,” he said. “If we can help our families and our community grow and thrive, it’ll help the school.”
The Community Box allows people to take what they need, no questions asked. The box is open to anyone in the community who could use it.
Donations are required to keep the box operational. Community members can drop off donations anytime, and the district will likely host drives and other special events to stock the box in the coming months.
The Junior Eagles Basketball Program funded the Community Box as a service project. Taylor Bedar spearheaded the project’s organization, and the box itself was built in Dan Cichlar’s construction class.
Newell noted that Civic Memorial High School also has their Eagle Closet, where people can drop off and take gently-used clothing and new hygiene products. He explained that the closet is in a private room, and it’s “amazing how often it gets used.” He believes there’s also a lack of stigma, as thrifting is popular and many students support the Eagle Closet.
Both the Eagle Closet and the Community Box aim to support students, their families, and the larger community. Newell encourages people to donate to the Community Box and Eagle Closet when you can, and he expressed his gratitude for those who support these initiatives to help students.
“It takes a village to raise students,” he said. “Us all working together is valuable. The school is a part of this community, and the community is also a part of the school. So us working together to help families is just super important.”
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