Pleasant Hill-based nonprofit White Pony Express plans to donate more than a metric ton of fresh produce, meat and dairy to two schools in Antioch every week.
There are about 100,000 students in Contra Costa County who qualify for free lunches, according to White Pony Express. The nonprofit hopes to facilitate their academic success by helping to ensure they are well fed.
To that end, they have established food pantries at Fremont Elementary and Antioch Middle schools using a $65,000 grant from Impact Diablo Valley. That funding was also used to establish a third pantry at Richmond’s J.O. Ford Elementary School in April.
So far, these new pantries have fed an estimated 150 families.
Antioch Middle School Principal Lindsay Lopez-Wisely said in a statement, “We are pleased to be a community school that supports all families and promotes health and wellness through various resources such as the White Pony Express food giveaway every Wednesday.”
“The smiles on our families’ faces provides more than nutrition, it gives peace of mind,” Lopez-Wisely said.