Studying Empathy: Wolfe Street Academy’s 5th Graders are Changemakers
At Southeastern Baltimore’s Wolfe Street Academy, elementary school students are inspired to embody bravery, intelligence, loyalty, playfulness, and devotion to family—the attributes of their mascot James Wolfe.
“I like to help out doing this with everyone. There are lots of families at our school, so we put food into bags that they can come get from here and take home. There’s flour, and beans, and rice, and lots of other things to eat. Sometimes there’s so much the bags split!”
On the afternoon on the third Thursday of each month, the school’s 5th graders get to display all five qualities as they help organize and pack masa flour, canned beans, pasta, rice, and other foods into manageable bags that neighbors can carry home.
Heidi Weiss-Beedle, Wolfe Street Academy’s Community School Coordinator, says that underemployment and other challenges that immigrants face are the primary barriers to food security she sees in their community. But, she also sees the opportunity for a teaching lesson.
“It’s important for the children to learn that we need to take care of the people that are here, no matter their personal, political, or religious beliefs,” she said. 
About The Author
Ben Gross
For more than 30 years, Ben has been helping organizations raise awareness and inspire action by creating compelling narratives. And since 2018, Ben has been the Maryland Food Bank's Staff Writer, elevating the voices of food-insecure neighbors to further the Maryland Food Bank's mission of feeding people, strengthening communities, and ending hunger for more Marylanders.
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