School Pantry created after teen's unexpected confession

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - In a tucked away closet at Peachtree Ridge High School, Lauren and Steven Seroyer are trying to fight teen hunger one can at a time and fortunately, their classmates have no problem pitching in to help.

"We have cart-loads of stuff every week to stock this food pantry and I'm just glad everyone sees how important this is," Lauren told FOX 5's Portia Bruner.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, the 16-year-old Suwanee twins created C.A.R.E (Community Assistance Resource Effort. Care boxes are located throughout the Suwanee school so that students can donate non perishable food items. The food items are stored in a makeshift pantry so that students in need can take what they need to their families.

"We want to make sure this is anonymous, so the students who need food work directly with school pantries to make sure the students have confidential and private access to the pantry.

Lauren came up with the idea after a heartbreaking conversation with one of her own classmates.

"He said he was hungry, but couldn't bring snacks outside from home. So, that meant nothing from the home could leave the house. He just had breakfast at home and maybe a dinner when he got back home and the rest of the day he just had to go without. I was shocked because I've been to Atlanta to help feed the homeless, but never thought someone in my own school would be going through this," Lauren said.

For privacy reasons, Peachtree Ridge High School officials will not release specific figures about the use of the CARE pantry, but a counselor told Bruner several families have turned to the private pantry for help.

The Seroyer twins hope to expand the CARE program to other Gwinnett County Schools. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 out of 7 Americans struggle to have enough to eat on a regular basis. In real numbers, that translates to 49 million Americans -- including 12 million who are 18 or younger. The Soroyer twins told Bruner they just want to do what they can to reduce those numbers in their own Suwanee community and they're grateful their classmates keep pitching in so generously to help.

"We just want to do what we can to help whoever we can. It feels good to help. No kid should wake up wondering when they're going to eat again," said Steven Seroyer.