An organization known for job training, education, and food preparation is combining its strengths to nourish students at a school in Augusta’s Olde Town neighborhood.
Helms College, part of Goodwill Industries of Middle Georgia and the CSRA, is providing meals to students at Heritage Academy.
Haley Wesley, Associate Vice President of Marketing and Brand Advancement, told ABD it is a win-win partnership for the college and the school.
“These are our Helms College culinary students preparing these meals, being supervised by our faculty, who are chefs. It also was such a great opportunity for our students to give back to their community,” she said, adding, for students, “It makes them feel like they know that their community cares and cares about them. That they’re not alone, when tragedy strikes.”
Heritage Academy began in 2001 with 10 kindergarten students in the Fellowship Hall in a church on Broad Street. It slowly added higher grades and, in 2007, moved into the former Houghton Elementary School on Greene Street. The school is now K-8 with 98% of students who attend the private school on a scholarship, based on family income.
Julie Tollison, Director of Institutional Advancement at Heritage Academy, said, as an independent school, they do not currently have a food program.
“Part of the partnership from our families is that they pack their student’s lunch each day. However, in an effort to bring students back to school in a timely manner (on October 9th), we felt the need to provide breakfast and lunch for students as many families still were without power and there was an issue of food insecurity,” she said. “We put the request out to the community and have been overwhelmed with the response. Our students and families have been so grateful.”
Helms College became involved thanks to one of their students. Elijah Brown’s mother works at Heritage. When she first heard about the partnerships, she believed Helms College would be a perfect fit.
“I spoke to the people at Heritage Academy, and they just really wanted to support their kids in any way they could,” Wesley explained. “And we figured out this is a good way. In a small community like this, everybody’s connected.”
“We’re honored and excited by this new engagement opportunity with Helms College,” said Tana Watson, Executive Director of Heritage Academy in a news release. “The storm brought a lot of hardship, and yet through it, we’ve seen the goodness of our community and found new ways to connect. Our whole school community is filled with gratitude.”
The news release quoted Chef Christopher Thompson, Vice President of Culinary Operations and Education at Helms College on the significance of this initiative: “Our students have a unique opportunity to apply their skills in a meaningful way, making a real difference in the lives of those affected. This initiative is about more than just preparing meals; it’s about serving our community with compassion and demonstrating the power of unity during challenging times.”
In addition to Helms College, the school program has also been supported by Chick-fil-A on Peach Orchard Road, Mellow Mushroom, Papa Johns, Olive Garden, Hawaiian Style BBQ, and The Vineyard Church.
