RCC awarded $6,000 Swipe Grant
It’s official! Robeson Community College is now a Swipe Out Hunger campus partner.
The Robeson Community College Food Pantry was awarded a Swipe Grant from the Swipe Out Hunger Organization. The grant provides RCC with $6,000 that can be used towards supplying its food pantry that is available to students.
After getting notified that the college food pantry had received the grant, Dr. Phoebe Chavis-Harris, the program director for education and the coordinator of the food pantry, knew that this money would make an impact.
“I was over-the-moon happy… this money will help provide many food items for our students,” Harris said. “We will use this money to buy perishable and non-perishable food items.”
Also excited was RCC President Melissa Singler.
“We are extremely grateful for this donation of $6000 for our food pantry which serves our students,” stated RCC President Melissa Singler. “Our students may face many challenges, but hunger should not be one of them, and this grant will greatly help our students get the nutrition they need as they work towards completing their academic goals.”
Harris says that there are currently between 50 to 60 students who utilize the food pantry each week.
“Some are repeaters and they come by more than one time,” Harris said. “Most students are getting ‘Grab and Go’ items that they can eat on campus for either breakfast or lunch.”
The Food Pantry was started in 2017 by the late Debbie Lowery, an Early Childhood Instructor at RCC, after she witnessed one of her students digging through the trash to find food. Lowry later found out that student was homeless. It was at that time; Lowry approached the administration to see if she could establish a pantry in the vacant space in Building 8. The request was approved and the food pantry has continued ever since. Lowery passed away in March of 2020.
“We have worked to continue providing this much needed resource for our students,” Harris said. “We now have a refrigerator that we can store cold items, that was donated by Lowes Hardware of Lumberton… and we continue to get more resources for our pantry to provide more for our students.”
The food pantry is open during regular office hours each week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Friday. The pantry is located in Building 8 and welcomes all students, faculty and staff who needs assistance.
Harris would like to continue to grow the food pantry, and she believes this grant will help achieve that.
“It is our hope that we will be able to continue to expand the food offerings to include healthier options,” Harris stated. “We would also like to be able to offer fresh produce and fruit from local farmers.
She adds, “If anyone is interested in supporting that effort, please reach out.”
Want to help?
To make a food donation of perishable or non-perishable items, please Phoebe Harris directly, you can do so at 910-272-3448 or pharris@robeson.edu. Monetary donations are accepted as well through the RCC Foundation, with RCC Food Pantry noted as the recipient. To contact the RCC Foundation, please call or email Christy Musselwhite at 910-272-3236 or cmusselwhite@robeson.edu.
About Swipe Out Hunger
Swipe Out Hunger is the leading national nonprofit committed to ending college student hunger. Swipe Out Hunger collaborates with colleges and universities to promote on-campus solutions, policy and advocacy, and community building practices to address students impacted by food insecurity. Since 2010, Swipe Out Hunger has enabled 12.3 million meals across more than 750 campuses in all 50 states and Canada. For more information, visit swipehunger.org.
