Mabank High Student Launches Community Fridge to Fight Waste
Two-year effort gives uneaten food a second life on campus

By Carol Countryman

MABANK— A simple act—a janitor rescuing an orange from the trash—sparked an idea for Anna Villines. Two years later, it’s grown into a program that keeps food out of the bin and puts it in the hands of hungry students.

“That’s when I realized how much food was being wasted,” Villines said. “It struck me that people were hungry in our own school, and here we were throwing away food that could be used.”

Her concern began in AP Seminar, a class that challenges students to research solutions to real-world problems. That morning, she told her classmates what she had seen, and they urged her to find a solution.

Villines first approached Principal Michael Rowland about donating untouched food to a local pantry. That, she learned, wasn’t possible.

“He said it would be a violation of health regulations and could affect federal funding for school lunches,” Villines said. “He told me to come up with a better plan.”

Food waste isn’t just a Mabank problem. A study by the World Wildlife Fund estimates that U.S. schools throw away about 530,000 tons of food each year—much of it unopened fruit, milk, and packaged items. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which funds the National School Lunch Program, reports that 30 to 40 percent of the nation’s entire food supply is wasted at the retail and consumer level.

Research led Villines to a school in Africa that had set up a community refrigerator where students could place uneaten food for others to take.

“That gave me the idea,” Villines said. By her junior year, she returned to Rowland with the plan. He encouraged her to research refrigerator prices and space.

At first, Rowland thought two small refrigerators would suffice. Villines disagreed.

“I was watching every day and seeing janitors pulling unused food products from the trash to take home,” she said. “I remember before Thanksgiving, one janitor was trying to gather enough apples to make apple pies for the holidays.”

Villines found a spot in the cafeteria where a broken vending machine had been removed and located a refrigerator online that would fit the space. She again took the proposal to Rowland.

“Anna’s project shows the best of what we want from our students,” Rowland said. “She identified a problem, researched solutions, and followed through with a plan that benefits the entire campus community.”

Now a senior, Villines calls the community refrigerator one of her proudest moments at MHS. The fridge is stocked daily by students who place their unopened fruit, milk, and packaged items inside instead of throwing them away. By the end of most school days, it is empty.

“Every day I see the fridge full at breakfast and lunch, and empty when I walk out of school,” Villines said. “I feel comfort knowing that students and staff in need are able to grab food on the go and nothing gets wasted.”

Younger students are also getting involved. Freshman Abigail Hakenwerth said she now donates her extra food instead of throwing it away.

“I had extra food on my tray, and I wanted to help people if they were still hungry,” Hakenwerth said. “I think the community fridge is a great idea.”

For Villines, seeing younger students embrace the project proves the effort was worth it. What began as a sophomore’s concern over wasted fruit has grown into a program that will outlast her time at Mabank High.

“This is a student-led idea from start to finish,” Rowland said. “Anna saw something most people overlook, and because she didn’t let it drop, we now have a program that makes a real difference.”