Roane State Community College

December 21, 2023

Roane State has earned the top spot among Tier 1 community colleges in the 25th Annual Food Drive Challenge organized by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). A total of 8,968 items were donated by Roane State students, faculty, and staff during the six-week challenge. This is the fourth consecutive year the college has placed in the top three.

The competition wrapped up in early December. All of the food and cash donations collected go to campus food pantries for students and to local organizations, programs, and food banks serving their communities.

Across all of Tennessee’s public community and technical colleges, the equivalent of 128,039 food items were collected and donated this year.

The Food Drive Challenge was conceived in 1999 by the Student Government Presidents Council – student leaders from across the state – as a project to help fellow students and others in their communities in need. A new report by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission cites research concluding that students experiencing food insecurity are less likely to excel academically and more likely to report stress levels that hinder their ability to focus on their studies. 
 
The colleges and students have kept the food drive going for 25 years. They compete, in tiers based on enrollment size, to see who can collect the most. Cash donations are counted as two items per dollar raised. More than 1.7 million items have been donated and collected during the 25 years.
 
“Every year, the generosity of the campus communities exceeds expectations. This outpouring of support is a true sign of how much they care about their campus and local communities. As we conclude the 25th annual TBR Food Drive Challenge during this holiday season, we celebrate collecting more than 1,743,500 items to date,” said Dr. Heidi Leming, Tennessee Board of Regents vice chancellor for student success.
 
“The food drive is just one of the many ways our campus communities are supporting efforts to address student food insecurity. It is also a reminder of the importance of supporting students outside the classroom to help ensure their success,” Leming said.
 
TBR’s Office of Student Success, which coordinates the Food Drive Challenge, surveys colleges in the system every two years on institutional support for students dealing with food insecurity. The last survey nearly two years ago indicated that all 13 community colleges have food pantries and some have food gardens, while nine TCATs have their own on-campus pantries, 13 provide emergency grants, and one has a community garden. Click here to view the full results of the 2023 Food Drive Challenge.
 
Any college in the system will connect students to local services when students indicate need. At Roane State, students can explore the resources available to them by visiting roanestate.edu/need or by emailing need@roanestate.edu with a specific request.
 
For information on Roane State's campus food pantry locations, visit roanestate.edu/foodpantry. Donations can be made at any time using the link at the bottom of the food pantry webpage.