PROCTORVILLE— Fairland local schools will now have a permanent food pantry through the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE) Local 345, Fairland Schools, and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

Wednesday afternoon there was a dedication of the new food pantry with Joe Rugola, executive director of OAPSE, Davida Russell, vice president of OAPSE, Barbara Ward, of the Fairland Schools Local 345, JoAnn Johntony, state president of OAPSE, Sandy Walker, state secretary of OAPSE and Roni Hayes, superintendent of Fairland Local Schools in attendance.

Ward said as a bus driver of 34 years, she and other school employees have seen students go home hungry and that this food pantry will help solve that issue.

Each Fairland student received a bag of snacks and a note explaining the new food pantry on Wednesday. The bags will then be handed out to students who need them on a weekly basis with the students bringing the bag to and from school.

“I just want to thank you for being here,” Hayes said to the OAPSE representatives. “This has been an ongoing issue for years and I’m thrilled to death that we’ll be able to do this.”