Although it has been in the works for some time now, the new year will usher in the opening of the South Piedmont Food Pantry: Feeding Student Success. The campus in Polkton and the main campus in Monroe will each house a pantry students and employees can utilize beginning the last week of January.
The idea for a food pantry started with Amanda Winfrey, a library circulation assistant at SPCC. Being surrounded by books – of all types – her inspiration came from “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.
A team of people across campus helped Winfrey bring her idea to reality. The SPCC Foundation donated the first $1000 and the Student Government Association followed with an additional $500. An employee food drive ended during the holiday party where many employees opted to give food and supplies to the pantry rather than gifts to each other.
“This initiative is important because poverty doesn’t have a look,” said Winfrey, “you never know what someone is going through.”
According to the Pew Research Center, 31% of all college students in the United States live in poverty.
“The truth is, hard times can fall on anyone at any time; making your way through school is a daunting task, and if we can make it easier for our students then that is what we are going to do,” said Winfrey. “This is just one more step toward showing our students that we support them in every way.”
Any current SPCC student or employee may use the pantry twice a month by visiting the pantry and filling out a short intake form. Library personnel and volunteers will staff the pantries.
The Monroe campus pantry will be located in the Braswell Building, room 2406 with hours of 1pm – 3pm on Tuesdays and Fridays from 11am – 1pm. In Polkton, the pantry will be located in Horne Library, room 124 with hours of 1pm – 3pm on Mondays and Fridays from 11am – 1pm.
For more information about donating or volunteering contact Dana Glauner at 704-272-5387 or dglauner@spcc.edu.
Written by Misty McMillan