‘Fruit Ninjas,’ a new, year-round program/club at Abington Senior High School, targets food waste through student donations to the Willow Grove Baptist Food Pantry.

English teacher Mariam Freeman noticed a volume of students throwing out the fruit that mandatorily comes with their lunches, and she decided to do something about it.

“A lot of the students just said they didn’t want them and didn’t know where else to put them,” Freeman said. “There is a huge need for fresh produce and fresh fruit because everyone always donates canned items. What we’re doing really matters to our local community.”

The Fruit Ninjas market the program through posters, advertisements, and a series of ‘I donated’ stickers. Then they try to figure out the best spots for collection to maximize donations.

The donations are collected through students of STRIVE, a transition program for young adults 18-21 with complex needs.

“We actually do the legwork daily. So my students go out to the three cafeterias after lunch every day. We collect all the donated produce,” Cait Pringle, a teacher in the STRIVE program, said.

In addition to vocational training, STRIVE students also develop their math skills as they weigh and graph their results. The school is on target to surpass 1,000 pounds of donated fruit by winter break.

For more on the Fruit Ninjas, you can read 6ABC News’ article here. You can also check out this video, courtesy of Abington School District:

Photos courtesy of Abington School District