Giving is one of the best lessons available today, but unfortunately it’s not often taught to people. But this year Bellevue East’s culinary arts instructor Lori Huffman decided to help both the community and her students with the gift of giving. Huffman had her students make bread to give to the local food bank because they are in need of donations.

“It was really random but I was on Facebook one day and I saw that the Bellevue food pantry had posted the things they needed,” Huffman said. “I asked if the food pantry would take bread we made in class. As it turns, out they would.”

Bread has been found to be an important part of the human diet according to Kiersten Hickman in “Is Bread Good or Bad For You? Nutritional Benefits & More.” It is a kind of food that can be made into so many different things that everyone can enjoy. The nutritional benefits of bread can help out those in the community that are in need.

“I do enjoy making bread for the food bank. It feels good to give something to someone else that’s in need,” junior Matthew Anderson said. “I think donating bread has a big impact on the community because it’s one of the staple foods that everyone needs.”

Donating can have many impacts. Some of its impacts are more beneficial for the people who have donated than the people who are actually receiving the donations. When it comes to donating, individuals might consider how they would feel if they were in need. 

“I think it’s important to donate to the food bank for a couple reasons. It brings even more meaning to my job as a teacher, but I also think it is important to teach this generation how important it is to give back to other people and how good it feels to give back because really helping people out in the community benefits you more than the people you’re helping out,” Huffman said.

Culinary classes are among the most popular classes students take, but they are also some of the most practical. Having a general idea of how to cook will benefit people for their entire lives. Knowing how to cook is a necessity for preparing to be an adult.

“I enjoy cooking classes. It’s really fun. I get to hang out with my friends and make food that I love eating,” junior Benjamin Ewing said. “I use the recipes I learn in class all the time to make bread for my family.”

When individuals recognize that they are a part of a community, they learn that everyone can help those who are in need. For those interested in looking to donate,  they can look up the Bellevue food pantry and contact them through their website.

“I can’t ever see myself ever stopping this program. I think it’s very important for the community, very important for our school and the students that enroll in culinary arts. I also know that the Bellevue food pantry is going to be moving over to where the Bellevue public library is at,” Huffman said.