Photo Courtesy of Canva

Abilene High School students in Mr. Chris Krenzin’s culinary classes recently prepared 250 chicken and vegetable fried rice meals, combining hands-on learning with community service to support families in need across Dickinson County.

Funded by the Kansas City–based Kids Feeding Kids program, 100 students from four classes participated, gaining practical cooking, sanitation, and food safety experience while learning about the realities of food insecurity.

Most meals were donated to Neighbor to Neighbor, which provides 24/7 pantry access and mobile outreach services, with the remainder distributed to district schools.

Operations Director Khristina Collie said the meals will help meet a rising need among local families. Krenzin noted the project encourages students to cook “with heart,” understanding how hunger affects the community.