During the first quarter, the Peer Team, a group of juniors and seniors that organizes events for the school, attempted two different fundraisers. As a way to help feed students, they started a breakfast cart as well as an after school food option.

The breakfast cart was open before the first bell rang, but eventually Peer Team had to discontinue it. According to Rachelle Smith, Peer Team advisor, “People were really tired when they arrived to school and were in a rush to get to class, so sales were extremely low.  Peer Team members were often late to class, and it was too hard for them to get an early ride to school to staff the cart. So, to address all the issues we had, we decided to try an after school snack cart.”

Peer Team tested out an after school snack cart to feed students before extracurricular activities, but it still faced problems. Jackie Van Slycke explained, “The carts have been in and out of business due to scheduling and revenue issues.  We just need to organize advertisement and get more people interested.”

Now that both food carts are currently out of business, Peer Team is working on new fundraisers for this quarter. Van Slycke said, “Peer Team really wants the cart to be a successful fundraiser, and we do plan on continuing it. We need money to run certain events and complete specific trainings.” She continued, “We are considering other fundraising options for second quarter and will keep the school community posted.”

The main function of the Peer Team is to help students, and while the food cart would directly benefit the group, it would also improve the mornings and afternoons of students by keeping them nourished. Smith spoke to this point by saying, “We want to feed hungry students and show that Peer Team is here to help.”

Van Slycke added, “Peer Team efforts are not focused on the fundraisers but on the community.”