Jefferson State’s Pioneer Pantry, in collaboration with the JSCC Transfer/General Studies Department and the Student Nurses Association, hosted Holiday Food distributions on Thursday, December 17th and Saturday, December 19th.
To help celebrate the holidays, students loaded the bags with a few extra goodies this month: a pre-cooked ham, some dinner rolls, some household & hygiene products, and some sweet treats!
PIONEER PANTRY VIDEO
Check out this short video about the Pioneer Pantry’s origins and ongoing efforts to keep Jeff State and the surrounding community fed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHcTfsld8LA.
ONLINE REGISTRATION
All registered Jeff State students, staff, and faculty are eligible to receive Ho Ho Holiday Food Bags. If you’re a first-time customer, make sure to register in advance by clicking this link: https://forms.gle/ogg4vQ4JyqeweCrVA. Existing customers who have received food bags in the past do not need to register again; they just need to contact Matt Boehm by text (205-529-4443) or email ([email protected]) and inform him whether they plan to pick up their bags on Thursday, Dec. 17th or Saturday, Dec. 19th.
DISTRIBUTION PROTOCOLS
As always, the number of people in your household will determine the number of food bags you receive. Please note that all customers are required to wear face coverings and remain inside their vehicles during the actual distribution; volunteers wearing masks and gloves will place food bags in the back seats or trunks of your vehicle. We do our best to ensure that none of the canned goods we distribute are damaged or expired, but we do make mistakes from time-to-time – so please inspect the items in your food bags carefully before consuming them.
DONATING TO THE PANTRY
We humbly request that those of you who don’t need food assistance consider making a small donation to help keep the Pioneer Pantry open throughout 2021. Consider this: according to a #RealCollege Survey from 2019, the food insecurity rate among the nation’s two-year college students was around 50 percent. As shocking as that figure may seem, the situation has grown much more dire this year. In March, Feeding America predicted that the national food insecurity rate could rise by as much as 46 percent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The problem is urgent, and the need is real. Any amount you can donate – however small – will help to keep Jeff State families fed this holiday season and, hopefully, the entirety of next year. You can make your donation by clicking here, on the Pioneer Pantry’s GoFundMe page. All donations are tax-deductible. There are also Pioneer Pantry donation boxes on campus, inside Bethune Deramus Hall, Ruby Carson Hall, and the Fitzgerald Student Center. If you have any questions about the pantry, you can contact Matt Boehm by email ([email protected]) or phone (205-529-4443). And thank you in advance for your generosity this holiday season!
