The Mighty Mustang Meals Program at Center Hill High School is a community-based program that helps provide meals for underprivileged children at Overpark Elementary and Center Hill Elementary. Every Thursday, high schoolers get together and pack each child in the program enough food to last them the weekend and send it home with them on Friday afternoon.

Mighty Mustang Meals started with Center Hill senior sponsors Danielle Brown and Roben Nobles and Interact sponsors Alisha Green and Toni Coleman. Brown and Nobles were originally looking for a way for the senior class to get involved in a community service project, and ended up pairing with Interact to create a schoolwide project.

“When this program started, we were providing for 22 students,” Nobles said. “We are currently providing food for 33 students, and the number seems to grow every week.”

Kristy Hale, assistant principal at Center Hill Elementary School, said the children who benefit from the program are appreciative.

“To see the happiness and even sometimes relief on the students’ faces when they receive the food is something that cannot be described on a piece of paper,” Hale said. “The feeling of sincere gratitude is expressed when the students hug us and vocalize the appreciation that the organization provides them.”

The program doesn’t just affect the elementary kids involved, however.

“I definitely never thought that so many kids in our little community wouldn’t have food over the weekend,” said Karina Prado, a Mighty Mustang Meals Ambassador and CHHS senior. “It really made me realize how truly lucky I am with how I grew up and never having to struggle.”

Food is gathered through food drives at CHHS, but if you don’t have a child in the Center Hill school system, you can still donate to this great cause. Donations can be brought to the front desk of the school. All checks should be made payable to Mighty Mustang Meals, and all food items should be non perishables such as Ramen Noodles, canned soups, and other things that children can easily microwave themselves.