E-S Community Support Network honored as one of seven prominent rural schools projects in state

by Beth Kraft
Mondovi Herald Editor

A little over a year ago, the Eleva-Strum School District kick-started a new program to reduce student hunger issues and address the needs of the elderly population in the area community.

With its efforts still going strong, the Eleva-Strum Community Support Network was recently awarded with one of seven “Standing up for Rural Wisconsin” awards.

E-S staff and community members accepted the award from State Superintendent Tony Evers at the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance Conference, held in Stevens Point on Nov. 12.

Each of the projects that were honored help strengthen rural communities, according to a press release from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and were nominated by education and library professionals.

Early last fall, elementary staff members at E-S were noticing more children coming to school hungry on Monday mornings after not having much to eat at home over the weekend. By collaborating with various school and community leaders, the Weekend Meals for Kids program at the E-S elementary schools soon began handing out its first meal bags for students to take home.

Resources for contacting the local food pantries and reporting abuse and neglect are also part of the support network, which also draws assistance from local clergy members, area businesses and county agencies.

The Weekend Meals contain healthy, easy-to-prepare food items that are discreetly deposited into student backpacks to go home with them each weekend. Middle and high school students pitch in each week to bag the nearly 40 meals for transport to the elementary buildings.

The non-profit support network also works with the “Feed My People” Food Bank in Eau Claire and the Strum Food Pantry to help provide meals to entire families.

For more information about the Eleva-Strum Community Support Network, please visit http://elevastrumsupport.org.

Other projects to receive “Standing up for Rural Wisconsin” awards included the CDM Manufacturing Pathways program, a brand-new, collaborative effort between the Mondovi and Durand school districts and Chippewa Valley Technical College to encourage high school students to hone their manufacturing skills.

Programs extending Internet access to students and literacy efforts were also recognized.