New School Pantry Targets Food Insecurity Among Students

ALACHUA COUNTY – A new student-run food pantry has opened at Buchholz High School, marking a first-of-its-kind effort in the region to address food insecurity among students and their families.

Bread of the Mighty (BOTM), a regional food bank serving four counties in North Central Florida and a branch of Feeding Northeast Florida (FNEFL), announced on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, the launch of the Buchholz High School food pantry. The initiative was funded by the Gainesville-based Mach Charitable Trust and is designed to provide discreet access to food for students in need.

The pantry, which held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in November 2025, is operated by students in Buchholz’s DECA club as part of the school’s Entrepreneurship Academy. The academy prepares students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management and emphasizes leadership and community engagement.

“This pantry is special because it’s driven by students, fueled by compassion and dedicated to ensuring that no member of our school family goes hungry,” said Terry Hoffer, the pantry’s director and an Entrepreneurship Academy teacher at the school.

The pantry is open every Monday from 3 to 4 p.m. and offers shelf-stable proteins and produce to students, with no questions asked. Organizers said the Mach Charitable Trust has committed to fully funding the pantry’s inventory for the next four years, providing long-term sustainability for the program.

“The Mach Charitable Trust’s goals are to help the most vulnerable and lend a helping hand to those who are in need,” said Lisa Reid, a trustee of the trust. “It’s our hope the Buchholz School Pantry will do just that in a discreet manner for the students and families in our area.”

Reid added that the organization hopes to expand similar pantry programs to other schools in the future.

Bread of the Mighty officials said the program addresses a significant need across the four counties the food bank serves, where food insecurity remains a persistent challenge. One in seven residents in the service area faces food insecurity, including one in five children, according to the organization.

School-based pantries, officials said, help reduce barriers to access by providing food assistance in a familiar and trusted setting.

“We’re excited to partner with the MACH Trust and Buchholz to make this pantry a reality,” said Patrick Dodds, executive director of Bread of the Mighty. “School pantries are one of the best ways to increase access for families, because they meet people where they already are and remove so many of the barriers that can stand in the way of getting help.”

More information about food assistance or volunteer opportunities is available at breadofthemighty.org.

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