05/29/2026
Falmouth High School Fights Growing Rate of Food Insecurity with new School Food Pantry Collaboration
FALMOUTH, MA (May 28, 2026) Falmouth High School celebrated the official grand opening of the Clipper Pantry, a program to fight food insecurity amongst students and families. The pantry will be stocked with nutritious shelf-stable foods so students can have consistent access to nourishment when the school is closed on weeknights and weekends. The Clipper Pantry was made possible thanks to a partnership with the Stop & Shop School Food Pantry program, which is donating $7,500 towards food and supplies and Cape Kids Meals, which has supported the pantry through non-perishable food donations and has partnered with the district since 2019 to provide weekend bags of food to students facing food insecurity.
Nearly 40 percent of the 680 students enrolled at Falmouth High School are considered economically disadvantaged and face food insecurity daily. Over the past year the school has seen the need amongst its students and their families continue to grow with the increased cost of housing and living expenses. The newly established Clipper Pantry will increase access to nutritious foods to students and their families.
“We are very fortunate to have a passionate group of staff, teachers and community members working to meet the needs of our students in safe and supportive ways,” says Alan Harris, Falmouth High School Principal. “They have listened and empowered the students and the generosity of the community has accelerated the pantry’s growth,” he said.
The Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program was established in 2019 to limit barriers impacting students’ ability to succeed in the classroom by making sure that they have consistent access to food. The program currently serves over 280 schools across the northeast, including seven pantries that support 22 schools on Cape Cod. It is one of the largest school food pantry programs in the country. Stop & Shop makes annual grants to support its school pantries, so Falmouth High School will have the opportunity to re-apply for funding in 2027 and beyond.
“Our School Food Pantry Program has inspired strong student outcomes across our footprint—with many schools reporting increased attendance and overall improvement in culture. We hope the pantry is a place where students can feel supported and empowered to pursue both their life and academic goals,” said Stephanie Cunha, Manager of External Communications for Stop & Shop.
Efforts to bring the Clipper Pantry to fruition involved a team of individuals, including teachers Stephanie Feronti, Ben Harden, and Susan Schmidt, support from the Falmouth Volunteers In Public Schools, Inc. Program’s Drawdé Geishecker, and community partners including Cape Kid Meals and Falmouth’s Rev. Nell Fields who helped generate donations including a commercial refrigerator and freezer. Items from the Clipper Pantry can be ordered by students using an online form, paper form, or visiting the pantry in person. In just over eight weeks, 80 bags of food have gone home with students who pick up the bags at the end of the day. The Clipper Pantry is open during lunch waves and by appointment and students are assisted by a mix of staff and volunteers to help them place orders based on their needs and preferences.
About Stop & Shop
A neighborhood grocer for more than 100 years, Stop & Shop is focused on delivering a wide assortment of fresh, healthy options at a great value through strong weekly sales and everyday low prices. The company is committed to making an impact in its communities by fighting hunger and working to ensure no students have to go to school hungry through its Stop & Shop
School Food Pantry Program. Headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts, The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC is an Ahold Delhaize USA Company and employs nearly 50,000 associates and operates more than 350 stores throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey. To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com.
