Ms. Kent takes steps to create a stronger and kinder community. photo by Emanuel Morales Gomez
Staff member repurposes the school’s leftover fruits and vegetables to make juices for staff.
At Thomas Jefferson High School, Karen Kent, a part of the custodial staff, is doing far more than keeping the building clean; she’s nourishing the community. Using leftover fruits and vegetables collected from the school’s shared tables, Kent spends her evenings making fresh juices for teachers and staff, turning what was wasted into a daily act of kindness.
What started off as a personal task has blossomed into a tradition. “I initially started because my son-in-law needed to take care of his blood pressure,” she shared. She went on to say, “My whole purpose is to not waste so much food.” Every night, she spends about 2–3 hours juicing. When other staff members ask her why she does so much work she says “Cause it’s actually giving back.’” She shared, “I’m just thankful that I can give back.” Furthermore, Kent mentioned moving from a home with a garden to an apartment, where she no longer had an area to grow produce of her own. Now, juicing is kind of like her own garden within her apartment.
The share table system was an initiative Kent helped cultivate back in January. Designed with two designated tables for untouched food, the table allows students to leave behind items they do not want if they are not hungry. The share tables have become a huge hit in the lunchroom, where students and staff alike take nutritious food. The initiation of the share table has prevented a significant amount of food waste that was happening before while also ensuring that students get as much food as they want or need.
Kent’s story started with the share tables, but she noticed that there was still a lot of food left over. She decided to take the food home and juice it. One time, she noticed there were a lot of leftover carrots, so she mixed the carrots with ginger and created a cleansing carrot and ginger juice that she then brought for some of the teachers the next day.
Her focus remains on making sure no food goes to waste. “My whole point is to give it to the kids who will eat it,” she emphasized. Whatever is left at the end of the day, she takes home to transform into juice, and she has even branched out into creating popsicles. “The juice I bring back here is based on what they have for lunch and what’s left over,” she explained. “Whatever the other kids don’t want to take, I take home to juice.”
In a world where food waste, especially in schools, is a rising issue, Kent’s efforts demonstrate how it only takes one person to make a lasting impact. Kent has not only reduced waste within the cafeteria, she has also built a deeper sense of community within the school. By taking items others might have overlooked or not known about, and creating something better regardless of the lack of recognition, she reminds everyone at TJ that true kindness often starts with small acts; these acts can transform into a movement much larger. Kent’s story pushes the idea that small, thoughtful acts of kindness can have a domino effect, making something so simple much larger. Behind the scenes, Kent has been making a big difference, not just in the reduction of food waste, but in building a stronger, and caring school community.
