Press Clipping: Olney Central College Student Senate Opens Food Pantry

Olney Central College Student Senate Opens Food Pantry

Mar 8, 2018

The Olney Central College Student Senate hopes to assist classmates in need with its new food pantry.

"It is a good project that will benefit students who may be struggling to afford things outside of school," said Student Senate President Nicole McKim. "We want to help them and the families they are providing for. We see this as a need that we can help meet."

Members came up with the idea while attending the annual American Student Government Association conference in Orlando, Florida.

"We had an opportunity to meet with ASGA founder W. H. ‘Butch' Oxendine Jr. to discuss ways we could increase student involvement and help other students," McKim said. "The food pantry idea grew from there."

In recent weeks, the Student Senate has been busy preparing Room 100A to house the food pantry. The former office is located near the main entrance to Wattleworth Hall, making it a convenient stop for students.

Thanks to recent donations several canned goods are already on the shelves.

Student Senate Treasurer Amber Sager-Grindle, who is also a member of the Student Nurses Association, encouraged SNA to donate items from its fall food drive to the pantry. Student Services also collected foodstuffs for the project during the week of final exams. "Their donations have helped us get a really good start," McKim said. "We have a lot of canned vegetables and now we are looking for donations of soups, boxed noodles and pasta."