A couple of weeks ago, we asked you to help us growl back at hunger on our campuses. We had two short weeks to reach a fundraising goal of $10,000 to stock the shelves, fill the fridge and help feed students who cannot afford to put food on the table. Today, the pantry is consistently feeding over 150 students. Thanks to you, we are one step closer to the dream of making hunger on our campuses a thing of the past.
The reality is that almost 50% of our students are suffering from food insecurity... that's right, half of them. They skip meals and go days without eating, all while studying, attending class, working and taking care of their families. Hunger is a difficult battle to fight for those experiencing it and those on the other side, trying to defeat the problem entirely.
The QCC Food Pantry is here for students, faculty and staff in need and is run entirely on monetary and in-kind donations. It is also run on the blood, sweat and tears of the volunteer students who have put their hearts and souls into this project. These students have worked tirelessly in their "free time" between class, studying, jobs and taking care of their own families to help the campus mission... 100% student success. Student success is more than a GPA, student success means personal success. And when you're hungry, really hungry... not like the hungry you feel when you worked through lunch, but like you haven't eaten in days hungry, that's a problem.
We are here for them and you were here for us. Thanks to you, friends, family and fans of QCC, we raised $10,053 together. Together we growled back at hunger! The success of the food pantry will take time, with awareness, gifts and one day, enough food on everyone's plate.
And so the battle against hunger rages on and our students will continue their mission and we hope you will continue to help us raise funds, collect food and spread the word. The more people we have on our team, the better chance we have to help those who are in need.
If you are (or know) a student, faculty or staff member in need, please come see us for help. All clients information is kept confidential.
While we are accepting monetary gifts, in-kind donations of non-perishable food items are always welcome. Donations may be dropped off in the donation box outside of the food pantry (Room B63, Admin Building, West Boylston Street Campus, Worcester).
Items in high demand include:
- Cans of tuna
- Cans of chicken
- Spaghetti sauce
- Peanut Butter
- Rice
- Pasta
- Macaroni and cheese
- Cans of ravioli/Spaghettios
- Boxes of cereal
- Instant oatmeal (individual packets)
If you would like to make a gift to the QCC Foundation, please click here.
