MOUNT DORA, Fla. – Meagan DeWitz may not wear a cape, but the Mount Dora teacher is making a powerful difference for children and families across Central Florida.
“I do this because there are so many children who go to bed hungry and wake up hungry,” DeWitz said.
DeWitz is a full-time third-grade teacher and a mother of two. While working at a Title I school, where most students come from low-income households, she saw that the school’s existing food program could not keep up with the demand.
“God put it on my heart,” she said.
So last August, DeWitz launched an organization called Squirrel Around the World. She began by sharing an Amazon wish list on social media, asking people to donate non-perishable food.
The response quickly grew beyond her expectations. Donations began arriving at her home from people across the country – and even from around the world.
“As soon as it comes in, it’s going out,” Dewitz said. “This is an everyday thing – even on the weekends, even on holidays, and even in the summertime, we’re feeding students and it never stops.”
In less than a year, Squirrel Around the World expanded from serving one school to helping 77 schools and organizations across Central Florida.
The need is often greatest for food that does not require refrigeration, a stove or even a kitchen. DeWitz says some families are experiencing homelessness or living in cars and hotels, making shelf-stable food especially important.
“All of our food is non-perishable,” she said. “It could be eaten right out of the package.”
The work can be overwhelming. DeWitz said she has cried in her driveway and carries stories of the families she helps that she does not always share publicly, but the support from what she calls her “squirrel family” keeps her going.
Sabrina Hutchinson, a third-grade teacher at Seminole Springs Elementary, said DeWitz’s work gives teachers peace of mind.
“Teachers, we tend to worry a lot about our kids when they go home,” Hutchinson said. “We know they’re going home and they’re getting dinner, and they are supported with that.”
Demand remains constant. DeWitz said there are times when the nonprofit’s shelves are nearly empty, but donations often arrive just when they are needed most.
“Last week was one of the slowest weeks of the whole year, and I was stressing out so bad because our shelves were empty,” she said. “Then, at the last minute, my squirrel family said, ‘Meagan, relax. We got this.’”
The shelves were soon filled again.
DeWitz hopes to eventually expand Squirrel Around the World beyond Central Florida and help children in communities around the world. For now, she said the nonprofit’s biggest need is not on her food wish list: warehouse space.
To learn more about Squirrel Around the World or find out how to help, visit the organization’s Facebook or TikTok page and Amazon wish list.
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