How White Pony Express is Teaming Up to Stop Student Hunger

Sometimes, the most profound community initiatives begin by paying attention to the quietest struggles.

For Angela, who worked in the office at Stoneman Elementary School in Pittsburg, the wake-up call came on Monday mornings. She noticed a heavy, consistent stream of students waiting outside the nurse’s station with stomach aches. When she asked the nurse what was going on, the reality was heartbreaking: the kids were hungry because they hadn’t had anything to eat over the weekend.

That discovery set in motion a community lifeline that continues to support Stoneman families today.

Angela knew she had to act. She began reaching out to businesses and nonprofits; she even bought groceries out of her own pocket. The solution arrived when she connected with White Pony Express, and they committed to bridge the weekend hunger gap together.

“My thinking was that if I can give them a meal for Saturday, they have to deal with one day on Sunday. You know, that lessens the need.”

Every week, White Pony Express delivers enough fresh food to ensure students and their families stay nourished all weekend long. Driven by optimized routing and extreme logistical efficiency, WPE delivered 764,103 meals to 23 schools through its in-demand School Pantry Program.

Starting in the early days of COVID-19—popping up in school parking lots with contactless pickups—the program became a lifeline.

For Angela and her team, it isn’t just about handing out food; it’s about welcoming and honoring and every family they serve. As they set up the distributions, volunteers appreciate the healthy, curated food and variety White Pony Express provides, ensuring that only the best goes home with their families.

“We don’t want them to feel any less than; like we’re just giving them anything. Partnering with White Pony Express, we’re able to give them high-quality surplus food.”

Kids come back to school eager to share how they cooked items like bell peppers and onions with their grandmothers, creating moments that Angela says, “just fill our hearts.”

None of this would be possible without an incredibly dedicated network of volunteers. Angela’s frontline crew includes her mother, her aunt, and a group of fiercely dedicated church ladies in their 70s and 80s.These women are an unstoppable force of nature. Even in freezing weather or triple-digit heat, they insist on showing up.

White Pony Express can support nonprofits and schools like Stoneman Elementary because of the generosity of neighbors and allies. Because we will never charge our recipients, we depend entirely on the community’s support to keep our fleet maintained and our distribution center well-stocked.

As part of our Spring Campaign, we need your help to reach our $350,000 goal so we can keep delivering a lifeline of fresh food to the families who need it most. Every contribution makes a difference!