The Hawkeye RedTail Food Pantry exists to support the mission of Hawkeye Community College “Empowering students, strengthening businesses, enriching the community.” An increasing number of Hawkeye Community College students face food insecurity and lack resources to access nutritious meals. To address the growing needs of students, the College established a campus food pantry in 2020. From Spring 2018 through Spring 2020, service-learning classes documented the breadth of food insecurity at Hawkeye. In October 2020, a campus-based Little Free Pantry was replaced with an expanded RedTail Food Pantry, including the addition of refrigerated and frozen foods ensuring all students have access to nutritious foods and basic hygiene items, in partnership with the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. Additionally, the pantry is supported and run by the RedTails LEAD AmeriCorps members. As a Food Bank agency partner, food is purchased at a significantly reduced cost. Hawkeye’s Food Pantry Coordinator oversees daily operations, managed by AmeriCorps members and student volunteers for 35 hours weekly. Students may visit the pantry once a week at no cost. Demographic information of the students is not collected as part of the food distribution process to respect students’ vulnerability in seeking assistance. The food pantry's success is measured by the number of visits, number of individuals served (unduplicated), number of households impacted (unduplicated), and the amount of pounds of food dispersed. Since opening in October 2020, the expanded pantry has distributed 166,655.82 pounds of food to 7,151 households, serving 19,440 individuals. In addition to food, donated hygiene items and winter gear are available. Due to high demand and shortages, funds from the Hawkeye Foundation are used to purchase items like peanut butter and pasta at local stores, albeit at a higher cost. Raised funds will be used to purchase foods such as dairy products, protein products, fresh produce, and dry goods not readily available through the Food Bank, ensuring timely distribution, elevating nutrition quality, and minimizing potential food waste.
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The American Association of Community Colleges: Building a Nation of Learners by Advancing America’s Community Colleges
Learn more: https://www.aacc.nche.edu
