Community Food Initiative by Elkhorn Graduate
Kansas Lohmeier, a recent graduate from Elkhorn South High School, has always cared deeply for the environment. She turned this passion into action through her Gold Award Girl Scout project focusing on food waste in schools.
Under federal law, school lunch staff must offer students a fruit or vegetable with their meals. However, many kids don’t eat them, resulting in perfectly good food being tossed away. Lohmeier found this wasteful and unacceptable.
In November, she launched “The Food Bins,” a project that collects uneaten cafeteria food and shares it with the community. Lohmeier placed bins next to all trash cans to gather these food donations. Partnering with Saving Grace Perishable Food Pantry, the project redistributes the collected food throughout Omaha.
Food donations are collected after every lunch shift and stored in a refrigerator. Pickups happen twice a week, ensuring the food reaches local after-school programs and soup kitchens without delay. So far, over 2,500 pounds of food have been saved from landfills, making a difference in numerous lives.
Lohmeier believes even small actions can lead to significant change. “Just by donating the little things in their lunch, a student can do a good deed every day,” she says. Her project will continue benefiting the community even after she starts her college journey.
Beyond her environmental efforts, Lohmeier was active in school as dance captain for the show choir and co-president of various student organizations, including the Green Team and Students of Action Representation. She was also part of Hope Squad, the Honor Society, and the basketball team.
This fall, Lohmeier will attend Colorado State University to study Political Science and Environmental Policy. She will receive her Gold Award on June 1st, marking an important milestone in her journey.
Her dedication highlights a growing trend in youth activism, as more young people seek to tackle social and environmental issues. A recent survey found that 78% of teens are concerned about climate change, reflecting a shift towards more conscientious living. Lohmeier’s project is a meaningful example of how students can impact their communities positively.
By combining passion and action, Kansas Lohmeier exemplifies how young people can lead the way in creating a better future.
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