Moraine Valley faculty and staff demonstrate their commitment to providing students with the resources they need to be successful, and they understand students cannot accomplish their educational goals if their basic needs are not met. To address the growing issue of food insecurity among students, a dedicated team of employees worked together to expand the campus food pantry. Their work to provide access to vital resources for students in need earned them the Dave Sarther Teamwork Award.
The team included: Sharon Brennan, counselor; Jessica Contreras, director of Counseling and Holistic Student Support; Dr. Scott Friedman, dean of Student Engagement; Shanya Gray, counselor; Teresa Hannon, counselor/coordinator; Laurie Hottinger, institutional design coordinator, Marketing and Communications; Yara Khazneh, peer educator/student employee; Tim Kosiek, director of Campus Operations; Kristy McGreal, executive director of the Foundation; Samar Mohamed, peer educator/student employee, as well as the entire Counseling and Career Development Center (CCDC) faculty and staff.
McGreal and Friedman nominated the team to recognize the efforts of each member in helping to bring this vital resource to students.
“In leading this team, Kristy and I were extremely impressed by the dedication of all team members to bring the new Project Care Food Pantry to reality,” Friedman said.
McGreal added, “None of us had ever set up a food pantry, but each person brought their unique expertise. We all knew something, and we knew which experts to go to. We took on different aspects of the project to make it a success.”
The college’s first food pantry was established over 10 years ago as a collaboration among the CCDC, TRIO programs, Multicultural Student Affairs and Academic Advising Office. It was much smaller, housed in a tiny storage room and only included nonperishable food donated by employees, student organizations, classes and other local food pantries. The initiative was the beginning of Project Care, which has since expanded to offer students an array of wraparound services and resources to address food, financial and housing insecurities.
Over the years, the number of students visiting the food pantry increased and the small space was no longer sufficient, so a vision to create a larger pantry, stocked with fresh and frozen foods, personal care items and school supplies, was born.
The opportunity to make this resource a reality came when Moraine Valley received two grants totaling $70,000 from Northwestern Medicine to cover the cost of construction, equipment, supplies and marketing associated with expanding the food pantry. McGreal coordinated with Northwestern Medicine to manage the distribution of funds and equipment purchases.
She noted that, in the beginning, a core group of employees met regularly to work on the project; later, the team involved others based on emerging needs.
The team worked for several months to oversee the pantry’s move to its new, larger, more convenient location. They each maintained an upbeat attitude, even when faced with challenges, including limited availability of contractors and production delays. A storage room and office in the CCDC were converted to provide space for sorting and storing food and other supplies. The Campus Operations and Marketing and Communications departments painted walls and created murals to make the food pantry a welcoming place for students. The space includes shelves for nonperishable food, and refrigerators and freezers to give students expanded food options. The addition of cold storage also enables the college to eventually become a community-based food pantry.
McGreal and Friedman said the team leading the day-to-day pantry operations has done a phenomenal job securing food, assisting students in the facility and connecting them with additional resources.
“It’s been interesting to see how the counselors have all been instrumental in letting students know about the pantry and view it as a support. They were an extended part of the team,” McGreal said.
To continue improving the new food pantry, the CCDC surveys students to learn about their access to food and other basic needs, identify new food items to appeal to the college’s diverse student population and expand student-to-student support through the CCDC’s Peer Educator Program.
Since opening, the team has seen an impressive 120% increase in students using the pantry and 147% increase in visits.
The team members were proud to learn their work on the Project Care Food Pantry received the Dave Sarther Teamwork Award.
“Bringing a new space to life takes the expertise of many folks. Teamwork was critical to the success of this project and continues to be the backbone of the successful new food pantry,” Friedman said.
“It’s unique how many departments come together to make things happen here on campus,” McGreal said. “Going from a tiny closet in a back hallway to a new, beautiful, professional spot would not have come together without teamwork.”