Norwich ― When Norwich Public Schools eliminated its school uniform policy last fall, Wequonnoc School staff in Taftville found a much needed use for the former spare uniform closet.

The shelves in the small closet outside the main office are now neatly packed with canned goods, fruit cups, boxed pasta, cereal, fruit juice and powdered milk. Household cleaning items line the top shelves. The new permanent food pantry in the Taftville village school opened about two months ago.

On Wednesday, Stop & Shop Supermarkets officials and school leaders held a grand opening celebration with Stop & Shop’s donation of a $5,000 in gift cards to the school to help stock the food pantry. Principal Zachary Maher said the school created a permanent food pantry after the United Way mobile food van moved to Three Rivers Community College across town.

Maher said so far, 20 Wequonnoc families have signed up for the food pantry, which is open to all school families once a month without income qualification. Families fill out grocery lists online and schedule pickup. The food pantry will remain open this summer.

“Norwich Public Schools offers students breakfast and lunch,” Maher said, “so our biggest goal with this is to figure out where are the gaps, so our children can be the best they can be.”

Norwich schools provide free breakfast and lunch to all students through its federal Title I grant, Assistant Superintendent Tamara Gloster said. The school district hosts mobile food vans once a month rotating among other city schools in partnership with United Way of Southeastern Connecticut.

Maura O’Brien, spokeswoman for Stop & Shop, said Wequonnoc was one of 40 Connecticut schools receiving donations of store gift cards and one of 170 throughout the Northeast region.

O’Brien said providing gift cards is the best way to support the food pantries, allowing school leaders to shop for what their families need, including culturally specific products. The pantries also provide laundry detergent, toothpaste, toothbrushes and other personal hygiene products families need.

Maher said Wequonnoc accepts donations of nonperishable food items from the public. For information or to donate, call the school at (860) 823-4210.

School-based food pantries are growing in the region, either through mobile vans or permanent spaces within the schools.

Norwich Free Academy’s food pantry is part of the Wildcat Loft, a free store where students can get anything from hygiene products and school supplies to winter jackets and formal wear, all for no cost. The items are donated by staff, alumni and community members, NFA spokesman Michael O’Farrell said in an email to The Day describing the program.

The NFA food pantry provides bags of food weekly to about 60 families, O’Farrell said.

“We are grateful to the United Way Gemma Moran Labor Food Center for its support,” O’Farrell said in the email. “Donations for the pantry also come from faculty, staff, alumni and community members. The need is not slowing down, and we do our best to be able to provide for our families who are dealing with challenging times.”

Donations to the NFA food pantry may be made at https://www.nfafoundation.org/givefornfa/make-a-gift. Select Wildcat Loft Fund from the menu.

In New London, a food pantry is located at the Bennie Dover Jackson Multi-Magnet Middle School, stocked with items from the Gemma E. Moran United Way/ Labor Food Center.

All Groton Public Schools now have food pantries. The district partners with United Way throughout the school year. In the summer, the district’s food services director spearheads the summer meals program across the community.

Stonington hosts the monthly mobile food pantry at the high school.

Annie Stockton, vice president of the Gemma E. Moran food center, said United Way encourages partnerships with school districts for food pantries, because schools have direct relationships and trust with hundreds of families, and they know their communities’ needs.

United Way uses school parking lots for its mobile monthly food pantries. Often school staff volunteer to help with the food distribution, Stockton said. The United Way food center also is open for leaders of school-based food pantries to shop once a week to stock their shelves.

“We’re hoping we can build more pantries in our communities,” Stockton said.

c.bessette@theday.com