Our Community
While our goal is to grow Project SEED throughout the greater Alle-Kiski Valley and beyond, we're starting out in New Kensington-Arnold. It's where our founders have worked as educators, and there's a great need there.
The New Kensington-Arnold School District (NKASD) is located in an economically challenged community in northern Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Over 70% of students receive free or reduced lunches in the NKASD, while the state average is just over 32%. Clearly, there is a real need for nutritional aid in the NKASD. Most alarming is that last year one Grade K-3 elementary school in this district had a staggering 89% of its students qualifying for a free or reduced breakfast and lunch.
Project SEED will provide weekend food for children in Pre-School, Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 at Martin Elementary and H.D. Berkey Elementary. That number currently stands at 224 students or roughly 38% of the students in those grade levels.
Beginning with the 2021-22 school year, we will expand our program to include students in Grades 3 thru 6 at the Hunt Upper Elementary Building. Approximately 750 additional students will have access to weekend food provided by Project SEED.
Free and reduced lunch programs are helpful, but they don't cover all of a child's nutritional needs throughout the week. Project SEED will fill the weekend nutritional gap that other programs don't. We need your help--please give what you can today.