LEWISTON, Idaho – The Lewis-Clark State College Warrior Food Pantry received a $1,000 check from the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation to help food insecure students so they can focus on their health, wellbeing, and academic success.
LC State was one of 41 food pantries to receive a $1,000 check from the foundation, which provides grants to help fund campus food pantries and backpack food programs where Sodexo employees regularly volunteer their time.
Sodexo is a food services and facilities management company that oversees the food service program at several college and universities across the nation, including LC State. Tim Wheeler, the Food Services Director for Sodexo at LC State, was instrumental in applying for and obtaining the grant.
“Sodexo is a proud partner of LC State,” Wheeler said. “I am happy we could support our students with this grant.”
The LC State Warrior Pantry started a few years ago as a Lewis-Clark Service Corps project and is supported by the Corporation for National and Community Service and LC State Student Affairs. It is free and open to LC students and employees who have a WarriorOne activity card and is located in Room 140 in the basement of the Student Union Building. It was started in response to studies that showed a high number of college students and their families are food insecure. The use of the pantry has increased significantly in the last year.
During the 2017-18 academic school year, the panty served more than 200 students and distributed more than 1,200 pounds of produce. The pantry was the first college in Idaho to partner with the Idaho Food Bank. During its time, the pantry has distributed more than 10,000 pounds of food.
Sodexo was founded in 1966 in France. The company has more than 13,000 client sites in the United States in several areas, including business and industry, defense, energy and resources, government, healthcare, schools, seniors, sports and leisure, and higher education.
The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has a goal to help ensure all students can access sufficient healthy food every day so they can learn and thrive. The foundation believes with constant access to nutritious food, students are more likely to get the education and employment necessary for a stable future while being health, and also more likely to avoid or move out of poverty.
For more information on the Warrior Food Pantry or to donate money or canned good items, contact the pantry at 208-792-2668 or email [email protected].