A Fairfield school community is helping combat food insecurity ahead of summer break.

Kristina Smith, of Pantry at 219, in Bridgeport says the 24/7 self-service community fridge and pantry sees a rise in people in need once school is let out.

“We partner with Fridgeport, who helps us get in contact with vendors and organizations such as food rescue."

Twice a week, students and parent volunteers at North Stratfield School go around at the end of each lunch wave, collecting uneaten food and placing it in the share fridge.

“Then every Friday, we take that remaining food and donate it to food rescue to the James street mission," PTA co-President Courtney Radosavljevic says.

The Green Team says since partnering with Food Rescue this past December, they’ve been able to donate nearly 650 pounds of food to those in need.

“Typically, all of this food that students don’t eat or don’t want or choose not to eat, would end up in a garbage and that garbage would be headed for landfills. This program really helps turn that on its head," Assistant Principal Thomas Woodard says.

All 11 Fairfield elementary schools also participate in a compost program, which has kept nearly 200,000 pounds of food waste out of landfills the past year.

If you’d like to start a food rescue program at your own school or workplace, you can visit: https://foodrescue.us/rescue-food/