Rialto families served holiday meal boxes

On Friday, December 16th at Rialto High School 850 families were served holiday meal boxes.  Items included turkey, stuffing, bread, milk, eggs, produce, and various can goods. All children in vehicles received hot chocolate, chocolate cake, and a lunch box. Around 40 volunteers included representative Marco Anzora from Congressman Pete Aguilar’s office, Rialto Council Member Rafael Trujillo representing Congresswoman Noma Torres’s office, and new Rialto Unified Board Member Mrs. Evelyn Dominguez.

Our Rialto Fire Chief Brian Park brought out a fire engine and crew that excited the families. Plus various Rialto students and staff bundled up and worked together to create holiday magic. We were very lucky that Santa cleared some time for the kids and could be found greeting, taking selfies, and spreading holiday cheer to our families in line. 

During the pandemic, the Lead Child Nutrition Agent, Fausat Rahman-Davies, saw firsthand how beneficial a community pantry would be. Her vision was to create a food hub that partnered with organizations to provide food items and resources to both our district’s families and the community. Since the pantry’s inauguration in 2021, the Keystone Cafe Food Pantry has assisted 25,000 families in their fight against food scarcity.

The Keystone Cafe Food Pantry operates on donations and is not part of the district’s nutrition program. Dedicated individuals from the district’s Career and Technical Education (CTE), STEM CARES programs, and multiple service areas including Child Nutrition are how the Keystone Cafe Food Pantry has been able to provide services to families each month.  Various partnerships including Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino have assisted with supplying our families with meal boxes for the pantry distributions. The operations of the Keystone Cafe Food Pantry embodies the vital connection between the Cafeteria, the Classroom, and the Community providing another way that Rialto Unified commits to the health and nutrition of those they serve.