Hopkinsville Community College, partnered with Planters Bank, will be hosting a food distribution even through their Pathfinder Pantry in April.
According to a news release, the event will take place April 1 and is open to all HCC students who are in need of food assistance. The drive-thru food distribution will be from noon and 1:30 p.m. that day and students will need to complete an online form and register for the event to ensure adequate supplies.
Around 100 totes loaded with high protein food, canned fruits and vegetables and cereals will be provided and the college will provide participating students with a $15 gift card to use at Kroger. Federal funding provided to the college from the CARES Act funding for the institution has been used to purchase gift cards. Eighty-five totes and cards will be distributed on the Hopkinsville campus, and 15 on the Fort Campbell campus.
HCC President Dr. Alissa Young says, “As students continue to juggle college classes along with, for many, work and for some, children and extended family, it is important that we provide the resources needed to help students persist in their education. Research from the U.S. General Accounting Office in 2018 indicated that 75 percent of students who receive financial aid are food insecure. 56 percent of food insecure college students also work and 30 percent of all college students are food insecure. With Pathfinder Pantry, we are working to address this significant barrier for students and to help lift students from struggles and poverty to the better life that education provides.”