Food Bank of Western Massachusetts adds STCC as member agency
A student visits the Ram Mini Mart.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield Technical Community College has become the first college in Massachusetts to join the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts as a member agency.
Starting in October 2023, STCC will be a part of the region’s food assistance network, and the first college to become a member, according to the Food Bank.
STCC also was the first college in Massachusetts to join the Stop & Shop School Food Pantry Program, which provides donations to support the college’s food pantry, known as the Ram Mini Mart. Students who qualify can visit the on-campus Center for Access Services (CAS) to pick up free meals, groceries and other necessities stored in the Ram Mini Mart.
Stop & Shop offers a school-based food pantry program to help reduce hunger among students in communities served by the company’s more than 400 stores in the Northeast.
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts provides healthy food to 173 members of the network in Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties. These independent pantries, meal sites and shelters are on the front lines, providing food and other resources to individuals, families, seniors, children, college students, people with disabilities and veterans so that they may lead healthy and meaningful lives.
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts is excited to welcome our first campus pantry to our member agency network.Michelle Geoffroy, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts
Vice President of Student Affairs Darcey Kemp said CAS is an invaluable resource for STCC students, providing them with support and resources including free school supplies, food and household goods.
“STCC values its partnerships with community organizations like the Food Bank and companies like Stop & Shop,” Kemp said. “We sincerely appreciate their support.”
José Lopez-Figueroa, Director of the CAS at STCC, said, “We are thrilled to partner with the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and continue our partnership with Stop & Shop. They are helping in our effort to ensure that no student is sitting in class hungry or goes home with nothing to eat.”
Samantha Plourd, Dean of Enrollment, Retention and Completion, said STCC is grateful to have the Food Bank as a new resource.
“Becoming a member agency of the Food Bank is a great help to our students facing food insecurity,” Plourd said. “As a member, STCC can access thousands of pounds of healthy food for our pantry, almost entirely for free.”
The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts expanded its operations in September with a move to Chicopee. At more than 60,000 square feet, the new headquarters is double the size of its former building in Hatfield.
Michelle Geoffroy, Agency Relations Manager, Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, said, “The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts is excited to welcome our first campus pantry to our member agency network. We know that more than one in three college and university students faces food insecurity, and only 20% utilize SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. This partnership will allow us to support STCC’s established food pantry and help us both to reach more of our neighbors experiencing food insecurity in Springfield and surrounding communities.”
Jennifer Barr, Director of Community Relations at Stop & Shop, said, "Stop & Shop is so proud to continue its support for STCC's on-campus pantry, and we congratulate the school on its continued success in doing groundbreaking work to ensure its students have access to the food and resources they need to succeed in the classroom. As a longtime partner of the Food Bank for Western Massachusetts as well, we love seeing these groups come together to help put an end to student hunger."
About Springfield Technical Community College
STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu