ROCKFORD (WREX) — For students who wonder when their next meal will be, it can be difficult to focus on school, especially when they turn for help and supplies are limited.
The shelves are almost empty at Eagles Nest Food Pantry at Rock Valley College.
“I’ve never seen the food pantry this low and that speaks to the need that is in our community. Our students are hungry,” said Lead Adviser for Rock Valley College Students of Service (RVC SOS) Amanda Kieper.
And while organizers say they never want to turn students away, the food shortage is limiting the amount of supplies a student can take home.
“We have so many students that we provide to that have large families as well and we can only give so much,” said TRIO Student Support Services Adviser Soledad Gonzalez.
But TRIO Student Support Services, a federally funded program that runs the food pantry, is working to fill the pantry’s shelves with a little bit of help through a possible partnership with Northern Illinois Food Bank.
“Hopefully, with their partnership, we would be able to stock up our shelves a lot more and then we can provide to our students as much as we need,” said Gonzalez.
The partnership would grant access to perishable items at lower costs and provide services for staff members who work with students in need. Organizers are also calling on the community to donate.
“It’s not enough. We need help from the community. We need help from the staff, from our students. Our students can be our biggest advocates,” said Kieper.
The goal is to relieve some of the burden students face everyday.
“We’re basically trying to help students stay fed so that they don’t have to make decisions between a college textbook, paying off next semester’s enrollment, paying the heat and buying food for their families,” said Kieper.
Organizers say they have seen an increase in students who are in need and hope a partnership with Northern Illinois Food Bank will get them back on track.
Making sure stomachs are full so students can focus on their success.
