Since the beginning of March 2024, the Interact Club at Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) has organized a student needs pantry called Dragon Resources for students located in the Wellness Center.
The Dragon Resources contain a variety of items, including deodorant, toothbrushes, hair ties, feminine products, school notebooks, pencils and granola bars.
According to Rhea Gill ‘25, a member of the Interact Communications Team, the purpose of the pantry, “is to give people a place to go whether they need something due to a lack of resources at home, or they just need something they forgot.”
Gill expressed, “Our goal was to create a safe space where people can come and go, getting what they need, without fear of judgement and without having to spend money.”
“I think we should be giving students as many resources as possible. School is somewhere [students] are required to be, so we should give them anything that they could possibly need to help their well-being and to make sure they are ready to learn,” Miranda Aguilar ‘25 stated.
It’s meant to be there for anybody, no matter their circumstances.”
— Rhea Gill ‘25
Dragon Resources was established to provide everyday supplies to students who are in need of an item but may not have the time or money to buy it. “It’s nice knowing that if I need something I can always go to the Dragon Resources,” Aguilar stated.
“We felt that the pantry was needed because we’ve noticed how fast the hygiene products in the front office and in any classrooms go, so we decided a designated place that everyone knows about would be beneficial to our school,” Gill said.
Although all resources are deemed useful by many students, there have been a few items that have proven to be more popular than others. So far, the most popular item in the pantry has been the granola bars as the Interact Club has already had to restock them twice. “The granola bars go very fast because people often forget to eat before school or don’t have time during school,” Gill said.
The student needs pantry was created using funds that the Interact Club had saved over the years. In the future, the Interact Club plans to continue funding the project, and they also intend to apply for grants to help provide additional support and resources for the pantry.
Students have expressed an appreciation for the Dragon Resources, and hope that it will continue serving students for years to come. “The Interact Club is also very grateful that Ms. Wulff and the wellness peers have given us an area in the Wellness Center to locate the pantry. We couldn’t have done it without them,” Gill said.
