Milpitas High School’s (MHS) Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) joined forces last week with Farmers Market on Wheels to put together 256 gift bags for teachers.
“The teachers put in so much this whole year,” said Swati Shah, President of the high school’s PTSA. “We wanted to do something for them.”
Weeks back, Shah reached out to Farmers Market on Wheels to see if they could help provide something special for MHS teachers, staff, and crossing guards.
Farmers Market on Wheels was born just last year, after COVID struck. Due to the closure of the Berryessa Farmers Market, among others, Milpitas resident Carla Bayot was looking for an alternative for getting her weekly produce.
“I was devastated when the farmers market in Berryessa closed,” Bayot told The Beat. “My husband and I are very supportive of small farmers. We don’t buy any produce outside of the farmers’ market…”
Bayot asked one of the farmers, Judith Calvillo, if she would be able to deliver her produce once a week. Calvillo obliged — on one condition: Bayat had to find others in the area who would pay for deliveries, so that the drive out from Watsonville to the South Bay would be worth her time.
Bayot found over a dozen willing customers. And from there, the idea took off. Bayat ended up partnering with Calvillo to form Farmers Market on Wheels, thus providing a way for farmers to keep themselves afloat during the pandemic.
Last week, Farmers Market on Wheels donated $5 toward the teachers’ gift bags, while MHS’ PTSA put in $15 toward each one. The bags contained pasta, jam, chocolate, and quinoa chips — all from local vendors.
Teachers and staff were thrilled to receive their bags last week on the Milpitas High School campus.
“Thank you very much for the gift baskets! The staff was rolling in throughout the day yesterday to pick them up and were super excited and appreciative,” the Principal’s Secretary Sandy Scrempos wrote in an email to the PTSA.
To place an order through the Farmers Market on Wheels, use code MilpitasHS; the MHS PTSA will receive 10% of the funds generated by your order.
And to join Milpitas High School’s PTSA, go here.