SWCC raises 1,650 pounds of food for local pantries

CNA photo by JAKE WADDINGHAM Food begins to pile up in Room 120 at Southwestern Community College Wednesday morning as students and staff prepare to box up the food and take it to food pantries in Creston, Osceola and Red Oak. In a combined effort, the campus was able to raise 1,650 pounds of food to donate.

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A simple food drive blossomed into a hearty donation of 1,650 pounds of food for local food pantries in Creston, Osceola and Red Oak thanks to the hard work of students and staff at Southwestern Community College and a little friendly competition.

Laurie Besco and the Trio group that provides student support services at Southwestern Community College started the year by setting up first generation college students in three similar classes.

Help

The goal was to help the students build study buddies and see familiar faces in their classes, but Dean of Students Matt Thompson and Besco also wanted to find a way to help the students become more involved in the community.

“We wanted to develop a service learning component for the students,” said Besco. “It was a way for the students to work together and help out members of the local community.”

The community service project started as any other basic food drive would. Boxes were set up around campus and around the community in an effort to raise food for families in need.

Competition

As word got around of the food drive effort, several groups on campus decided to make a friendly competition of who could raise the most food.

Seven groups including the Trio, Phi Theta Kappa, the physiology department with Kate Burrell, ag club, nursing students, music department and ambassadors combined to raise more than 1,650 pounds of food.

“It really was incredible,” said sociology instructor and Phi Theta Kappa adviser Jody Nedley-Newcomb. “The students really got excited about how much food we were raising.”

Nedley-Newcomb also thought the food drive was beneficial for helping the students and campus get more involved in with the community.

“It is nice to see the students give back,” said Nedley-Newcomb. “The community was very helpful letting us set up boxes around town to help people not only in Creston, but the Red Oak and Osceola sites, too.”

The competition ran for just over two weeks, ending Nov. 6. Students and staff helped deliver the food Wednesday afternoon, just in time for the holiday season.

Next Trio will continue their Stars of Christmas program to help members of the community who have children in need of a secret Santa during the Christmas season.

“It is an anonymous program where members of the community select a child to buy a 15 to 20 dollar gift to donate,” said Besco. “This is our 12th year providing the service.”

Donations are also accepted to make sure every child on the list gets some kind of present. Dec. 9 is the cut off date for presents so student mentors in the Trio program can wrap the presents.

If anyone wants to donate or be a secret Santa for Stars of Christmas, contact Students Support Services at 782-1360.