JSCC helping staff and students with food pantry
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JACKSON, Tenn.,–The food pantry program at Jackson State Community College is helping students and staff who may struggle to make ends meet. “I tell them to get what they need and some of them are kind of slow to take stuff because they’ll say, ‘I don’t want to take too much” and I just say don’t worry about that. You get what your family needs,” Coordinator of placement services at JSCC,Frances Anthony said. Carol Taylor is a 71-year-old student at JSCC. Taylor, a painting and social work major said managing the costs of school on her $750 a month fixed income has taken a toll on her wallet. “I am struggling this semester because I need a lot of art supplies and 3 text books and the books are very expensive,” Taylor said. Taylor said she knew the food pantry existed because of the donation boxes placed in campus hallways.She said she has not utilized the pantries services yet, but would not be embarrassed to use the resource if she needed it. “It’s a false pride if people are embarrassed to go and ask for what they need,” she said. Anthony estimates the pantry helped about 20 individuals last semester. “They’re usually waiting for their check or they’ve had a layoff or had to pay a bill and just ran out of money to pay for food,” she said. The cabinets are stocked with more than just food. Entirely supported by donations, the pantry houses baby supplies, hygiene products, non-perishable food, and small amounts of clothing. By the end of January, staff said the college’s campuses in Savannah, Humboldt and Lexington will all have similar pantries for students and staff to access.
