Owens College food pantry catching on - The Courier

Owens College food pantry catching on - The Courier

By DANAE KING
STAFF WRITER
The response to Owens’ Community College Findlay campus’ food pantry has exceeded expectations.
The pantry, open to students on the first and third Tuesdays of the month, helped serve almost 50 people, including 15 students and their family members, on Oct. 4, said Angie McGinnis, manager of the office of advising at Owens.
The next food pantry is Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students can go to the food pantry at other times by making an appointment.
“Our students are expressing they have a need for food,” McGinnis said. “We’re trying to help them so they can focus on their studies.”
The food pantry operates out of the Education Center on campus and McGinnis goes to the college’s Toledo campus to get food to supply it.
The Findlay campus pantry started in February, but has had more of a response this semester. The Toledo campus’ pantry has been operating for several years.
In a survey, students answered that the college needs a food pantry, McGinnis said.
“Even if it saves them $20 or $30 at the grocery store, they can use it for gas,” she said. “It’s just convenient to have it here; they’re already here for class.”
The local pantry is currently operated out of a conference room. McGinnis and Julie Baker, recently appointed as the campus’ executive director, have discussed another location on campus for the food pantry.
Toledo’s food pantry looks like a store and visitors can come in and “shop,” McGinnis said.
“I’d like to see us have something more permanent and official,” she said.
She’s also hoping they’ll get a freezer and refrigerator to store perishable items.
For now, Findlay’s is in the conference room, which may be why it is drawing more students and raising awareness about it.
“Our students are juggling a lot, a lot of balls in the air,” McGinnis said. “They’re going to school, which probably means they can’t work as much and may have to make some financial sacrifices for school.”
“We want to try to fill the gap if they are missing out on possible income if they’re going to school,” she said. “They may be running on a thin margin.”
The Toledo campus works with the Seagate Food Bank to get food, and that’s what the local pantry is supplied with as well, McGinnis said, though it would love to have local partnerships and donations from local residents.
“Absolutely we would love to have donations,” she said.
Those interested in donating to the pantry can contact McGinnis at 567-429-3515 or Angela_McGinnis@owens.edu.
Those interested can also just drop non-perishable food items and personal items, like toiletries, off at the education center.
King: 419-427-8417
danaeking@thecourier.com
Twitter: @danaeking

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