Fruit donation program continues in a more organized fashion

One of the staples of the lunchroom on an average day was Mary Fast, a custodian, going around to the tables and collecting the fruit that students did not eat. Mary started this tradition four years ago, but as it has gotten more popular, administration told her that to be continued, it must be handled more officially.

“Just the fact that if somebody got sick or something they could trace it back to the fruit they ate after school,” Fast said. “I was rinsing it off by hand, but now they want it officially rinsed off after they’ve collected it all.”

The special-ed program has taken over rinsing as on-the-job training for special ed-students. These students help wash the fruit, because it is a skill they can use in a potential profession later in life.

In the cafeteria, students can find a bin for unwanted fruit and a bin for unwanted milk. This gives students the option to put their fruit and milk in the bin rather than throwing it away if they choose not to eat it.

“I try to stay out of it now, but I just keep an eye on it to make sure it’s taken care of,” Fast said. “This morning I saw that fruit was on the table, kids were already doing it themselves.”