Donation expands capacity of Viking Food Pantry
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 years, 11 months AGO
Courtesy photo Through the generosity of Big Bend Community College staff, students and donors, the on-campus food bank received two brand-new freezers, shown here by student worker Emmanuel Watley (left) and Natalyia Yushchuk, the Workforce Education Program assistant.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | February 23, 2017 2:00 AM
MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Foundation and its partners recently expanded the capacity of the on-campus food bank with the addition of two brand-new freezers. Other groups who contributed to the project included the BBCC Veterans Club, the college ASB and faculty members.
The Viking Food Pantry opened last fall, the idea of college officials who realized there were students – and sometimes employees – that needed affordable food and, for whatever reason, didn’t have access to it. Workforce education director Heidi Summers said in an earlier interview the difficulty finding affordable food, or any food at all, may have been one of the factors that led to students dropping out of school.
Viking Food Pantry opened with two refrigerators – with refrigerator-size freezers that presented a storage problem. The additional (cold) storage of two new freezers allows the food bank to expand the amount and variety of food it can offer, said Matt Killebrew, BBCC director of communications.
Killebrew said the Viking Food Pantry “has already proved to be a much-needed and appreciated resource on the campus.
“The fact these were able to be purchased because of donations from our campus community is a testament to (the college’s) family atmosphere and genuine sense of caring,” Killebrew wrote.
Viking Food Pantry is located in Room 1501 of the 1500 building, near the BBCC softball field. It’s open to all BBCC students and staff. The college staff works with the Moses Lake Food Bank to keep the shelves filled.
Pantry customers are asked to show their BBCC identification. First-time customers are asked to fill out an application, including family size, which helps food bank workers determine how much food each customer receives.
Donations are accepted. Summers said donations from faculty, staff and administrators have helped keep the pantry up and running. Operators are not only looking for donations of food but also items like razors and toothpaste.
The Viking Food Pantry is open to students and staff from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. People who want to donate or have questions can contact the pantry during business hours, 509-793-2057.
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