LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Kayla Brown was nominated by her colleague, Traci Marlin

Nearly one in three Midway ISD students qualify for assistance just to have breakfast or lunch at school—but who helps over the weekends and holidays? Hunger Free MISD, which has served 15,000 packs of food to students most in need.

Hunger Free MISD is a collaborative program, started at Midway High School by educators Kayla Brown, Jana Thomas, and Jeff Fisher in response to changing demographics in the district. This school year, 34 percent of Midway students are economically-disadvantaged, meaning that one-third of the students qualify for federal assistance with breakfast and lunch while at school. MHS staffers noticed, however, that some students were going hungry over the weekends.

Brown, Thomas, and Fisher are still integral in the management and execution of the program on a weekly basis, which now involves collaborations across the district. The process starts with campus counselors identifying students and families who need extra assistance. Midway’s child nutrition office, contracted with Aramark, helps facilitate bulk orders and the MISD Maintenance department delivers the orders to MHS. Life Skills (Special Education) students stock the shelves, learning a skill for future employment. The Midway High School Marine Corps Junior ROTC assembles about 160 packs every week, which are delivered to campus by juniors and seniors in the Peer Assistance & Leadership (PALs) program. When it’s time for extended holiday breaks, district administrators pack boxes of full holiday meals, and local churches deliver directly to families’ homes at Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) coordinates a collection on each Midway campus of food and funds for Hunger Free MISD during a designated month of the school year, raising approximately $35,000 annually to sustain the program. Local companies like Bush’s Chicken also support the program through fundraisers and donations. Over the past four years, Midway has distributed more than 15,000 Hunger Packs to children in need. Mrs. Brown leads these efforts, and for her initiative and unwavering volunteer efforts, she is a LifeChanger!