As the holiday season approaches and families feel the strain of rising food costs, the Westminster School District has expanded its resources with the launch of the Helping Hands Food Pantry.
The district recently unveiled the pantry to ensure students and families in need receive nutritious meals. Located on the Johnson Middle School campus, the space’s shelves are lined with household staples like canned tomatoes and corn, pasta, microwavable mashed potatoes, bread and other essentials.
Those attending the opening celebration received a tour of the reimagined space after a performance by the Johnson Middle School Band, seeing how the pantry will offer families reliable access to free groceries throughout the year — especially during high-need times like the holidays.
“This pantry represents our shared commitment to caring for the whole child, ensuring that every student and family has the support they need, both inside and outside the classroom,” said Superintendent Dr. Gunn Marie Hansen. “When we meet basic needs, we open doors to learning, confidence and community engagement.”
Local partners including Grocery Outlet, the City of Westminster and the Assistance League of Huntington Beach contributed essential items to help address the nutritional needs of the community.
The pantry will be available to families districtwide across all 17 elementary and middle school campuses. It will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Families can reserve a time to access the pantry’s resources by booking an appointment online.
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- Los Alamitos High School Song cheerleaders were recently selected to serve as the U.S. National Junior Pom Team and compete against more than 70 teams globally in the junior world championship finals next April.
- Sixty-two educators — including six county finalists — were honored for “lighting the way” toward academic success and student growth at the annual 2026 Teachers of the Year gala, hosted by OCDE and sponsored by SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union.
- This month, educators throughout the United States are celebrating 50 years of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and its enduring commitment to providing a free and appropriate education to every child with a disability.
- Through the California Multi-Tiered System of Support framework, OCDE and the Butte County Office of Education have launched a new wildfire recovery initiative to help Los Angeles County schools rebuild and recover after last January’s fires.
- Fullerton School District has organized a districtwide food drive for families impacted by the delay in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
- Results from the latest California School Dashboard — released Thursday — have shown progress with increasing graduation rates and academic achievement while chronic absenteeism has declined.
- Local high school musicians can still submit their original compositions for the USA-250 Theme Song Competition: Celebrating America’s 25th Anniversary through Song, now with the chance to win a $500 cash prize for placing first in their selected genre.
- The South Coast Air Quality Management District plans to replace older, high-polluting school buses with 286 new zero-emission models — including 50 in Orange County.
- EdSource reported that California families are beginning to see CalFresh benefits restored to their EBT cards after funds were released, according to Gov. Newsom’s office.
- In just the second year of CIF playoffs in girls’ flag football, the Corona del Mar High School team scored its first Southern Section Division 2 title in the championship game Saturday night.