In flourishing communities like Bettendorf and LeClaire, poverty often goes unnoticed. However, according to recent census data, Bettendorf has a poverty rate of 6.7%, and LeClaire with 8%. While these percentages might not seem high, they represent 1 in every 20 people in the community.
Many students who experience food insecurity are often treated as invisible in classrooms due to a lack of awareness, and they struggle to get nutritious meals consistently. Outside of school hours, some students sometimes miss breakfast or dinner, which can negatively affect their grades and focus in class. Two faculty members, Mrs. Hammes and Mrs. Dockery, have created the Spartan Market at Pleasant Valley High School to combat this overlooked issue.
Hammes, a special education teacher who runs the market, said, “They’re starving, and we give them snacks. The people who work with those students say their mood completely changed, the behaviors that they were having stopped, and they weren’t focused on school. Hunger is a barrier to their grades. If you’re starving, you can’t think.”
The Spartan Market, created this school year, serves underprivileged students who struggle with hunger at home, especially during weekends, evenings and holiday breaks.
Dockery explained the reasoning behind its creation: “A lot of the students who eat with us get free and reduced lunch here. So they’re taken care of during the day. But the weekend comes, and it’s incredible. Or sometimes the evening comes, and it’s a problem.”
In addition to food, the market provides hygiene products and clothing, helping students focus on their education instead of worrying about basic needs and societal pressure from their peers.
The Spartan Market is funded by the River Bend Food Bank, which provides canned goods, boxed meals, pasta and rice. The market is also supported by teachers, staff and local community donations.
In its creation, the Spartan Market faced several challenges, with student embarrassment being the most common. Many students were hesitant to seek help or pick up food, worrying about being seen by classmates. “Getting the food to the student. And this student is accepting it. Some are embarrassed and don’t want to take it. They don’t want to be seen with it,” Hammes said.
To combat this issue, the market created a flexible and anonymous delivery system. Students can tell staff what they need, and those supplies will be placed in their backpacks, lockers, or even delivered to their cars after school. The Spartan Market hopes to remove any barrier that could prevent a student from receiving the help they need.
Currently, the Spartan Market at PV serves three of the elementary schools: Riverdale Heights, Pleasant View and Hopewell. The junior high also has its own food pantry and serves Forest Grove, Cody and Bridgeview. In the future, they plan to expand community partnerships and student accessibility and comfort.
Located in the English hallway, Room 157, the Spartan Market is open to any student who needs assistance. The program hopes to eradicate student hunger in the halls of PV.
