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News: Roane State food pantry, supported by donation from Kroger Co. Foundation, to open Aug. 27 at main campus in Harriman

Koger Zero Hunger, Zero waste logo

Aug. 15, 2019

By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer

A food pantry for Roane State students has been established in renovated space within the gymnasium's entrance foyer at the community college's main campus in Roane County, and a ribbon-cutting for the new service will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27.

A $1,000 gift from the Kroger Co. Foundation will help stock the pantry, which is operated in partnership with Mid-East Community Action Agency.

"We know that college students are often living on tight budgets,” said Melissa Eads, Corporate Affairs Manager for the Kroger Nashville division. “We know that meals matter, and through our 'Zero Hunger Zero Waste' plan we are committed to ending hunger in our communities and eliminating waste in our company. Supporting Roane State and this campus food pantry initiative is one way we can do that."

Students, Roane State faculty and staff as well as the public are invited to celebrate the grand opening of the Raider Pantry. It will feature breakfast items such as granola bars, breakfast bars, oatmeal, etc. and lunch/snack items such as microwaveable macaroni, noodles, peanut butter crackers and cheese crackers.

Students may take home some items, such as pasta and spaghetti sauce, to provide dinner for their families. The pantry will also have some toiletry items and school supplies.

The project is in response to a vexing, common problem in colleges nationwide: food insecurity. Many students, particularly those from lower-income families, struggle to pay for their higher education as well as food and gas, officials said. Nearly all Roane State locations have started initiatives to address food insecurity.

Roane State statistics show 47 percent of the community college's students come from low-income families. Those financially struggling students are at risk of dropping out, and Roane State employees have often spent their own money to provide food "for students who have gone without breakfast or lunch," said college President Dr. Chris Whaley.

The Kroger Co. Foundation's $1,000 gift "will allow us to obtain nearly 3,000 pounds of food" from Second Harvest Food Bank of Tennessee, according to the Roane State Foundation, which applied for the Kroger Foundation funding.

The Mid-East Community Action Agency's fiscal partnership with the Raider Pantry enabled the procurement of nearly 3,000 pounds of food from Second Harvest.

The college funded renovation of the 115-square-foot space in the gym foyer which totaled $1,400.

The nonprofit Roane State Foundation accepts financial contributions for both the new pantry and similar pantries on other Roane State campuses. For information, call 865-882-4507.

Roane State is a two-year college providing transfer programs, career-preparation programs and continuing education. Founded in 1971, the college has campuses in Crossville, Harriman, Huntsville, Jamestown, Knoxville, LaFollette, Lenoir City, Oak Ridge, Wartburg and Clinton.

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