Mariner High JROTC cadets fight food insecurity in Lee County

LEE COUNTY, Fla. — The JROTC cadets at Mariner High School are on a mission to tackle food insecurity in Southwest Florida.

"Our mission statement to motivate young people better citizens," said Elyssa Vazquez and Maegan Saintil, JROTC cadets at Mariner High School.

They have taken on one of the region's leading challenges.

"One in five students in Lee County struggle with food insecurity, and it's a big problem here," said Vazquez and Saintil.

The cadets highlighted the ongoing need for assistance following recent hurricanes.

"There's a big need, especially after Hurricane Salina Milton last year, and honestly, still, Hurricane Ian really did drain our food pantries in southwest Florida," said Zoë Enslin, Jakobe Changasie, and Victor Carrillo, JROTC cadets at Mariner High School. "And so just partner with community cooperative, who's a longtime partner of Mariner, just seemed like a good idea to put full focus in."

Cadets are collecting canned goods, cereal, and water to support the cause.

"Canned goods, cereal and water, these are just some of the items JROTC cadets at Mariner High School are collecting to help end hunger here in Southwest Florida," said Camila Pereira of Mariner High School.

Nearly 700 student leaders have been actively working on this project.

"They're putting in the work. They're going in their neighborhood and asking for donations. They're going to grocery stores and everything, and we've made a lot of a lot of donations and a lot of money donations as well," said Enslin, Changasie, and Carrillo.

So far, the cadets have collected a significant amount of food and more than $3,000.

But the project is about more than just numbers; it's about making a difference.

"One of our own students here, gave him two quarters, and they were kind of like bummed down about it, saying, hey, this all I have," said Enslin, Changasie, and Carrillo. "But then the reason that they said it is because they themselves struggled with food insecurity, and this was their way of, like, saying, I know what it's like, and I don't want other people to deal with that, and so I'm giving what I can."

The cadets' efforts are making a meaningful impact in their community.