VOORHEESVILLE — About a dozen students at Clayton A. Bouton High School are using a room at the school to “shop” — without cost — for food procured through donations from Hannaford Supermarkets.

The school’s pantry came from a November 2019 donation by Hannaford of $290,000 to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York to support the establishment of food pantries in schools throughout New York State as part of its “Fuel Kids at School” program.

The in-school pantries are dedicated spaces where students can select food they enjoy based on their preferences and cooking abilities to provide nourishment both during and after the school day, said a release this week from the supermarket chain.

“When we first announced this donation last year, we never could have imagined the challenges that 2020 would bring for our local schools,” said Hannaford Supermarkets Vice President of Retail Operations Todd Bullen in the release.

Clayton A. Bouton High School works with the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York to stock the pantry for its students with shelf-stable, simple-to-prepare staple items, such as breakfast bars, tuna, spaghetti sauce, pasta, cereal, and fruit.

“This critical program allows students to select the food they need in a safe, trusted environment,” said Betsy Dickson, director of children’s programs for the regional food bank, in the release. “In this time of uncertainty, the flexibility of the program has allowed us to reach more students and provide more food to help families make ends meet.”