Coahoma Community College News January 13, 2020 Tiger’s Den Food Pantry, Renewed, Refreshed, Reopened Coahoma Community College recently announced that both its Tiger’s Den Food Pantry and Career Closet have moved to a new location and have been transformed to better serve students. The project, led by the Division of Student Engagement, aims to offer snacks/nonperishable food items, toiletry supplies, and professional clothing to meet the needs of those students who might be facing difficulties while enrolled at the institution. According to a 2019 article published by Inside Higher Ed, 48 percent of community college students and 41 percent of four-year university students who responded to a survey conducted by the Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice are food insecure. The survey was sent to nearly 1.5 million students at 123 colleges and universities. Nearly 86,000 students responded. Specifically, in the Mississippi Delta, the area remains one of the most deprived regions in the U.S. The national poverty rate is about 15 percent; it's 22 percent for Mississippi. In most Delta counties, it's 30 to 40 percent. For these reasons, the pantry was seen as a critical need in supporting the success of CCC students. Trina Cox, coordinator of Career Services and Placement, says that the changes will benefit more students, faculty, and staff. The more visible location will alert students, faculty, and staff that the pantry is accessible are visible and ready to serve. “Unfortunately, there is tremendous hunger on many college campuses. CCC is not immune,” said Cox. “We have been able to serve an enormous amount of students and look forward to continuing to meet the needs of our student body.” According to Cox, donations to the pantry are always needed. She encourages donors to make sure that all donations have an expiration date of at least two months from the time that the items will be donated. Individuals donating loose items from a multi-pack product of any kind should make sure the donations are individually sealed or wrapped and have not been opened before. Suggested donation items include: * Canned goods: soups, beans, vegetables, etc. * Ingredients for simple meals * Peanut butter and jelly * Boxed foods: mac and cheese, dinner sides * Cooking oils, stock, spices (no butter) * Baking ingredients * Cookies, crackers, and snacks like pudding or jello cups * Gluten-free items * Spaghetti sauce and other sauces for pasta and rice * Foods that do not require a lot of preparation * Loose granola bars, tea bags, oatmeal packets, etc. can be donated if they are individually sealed “We look forward to serving students. The pantry is located on the 2nd floor of the Zee A. Barron Student Union,” said Cox. “Simply stop by the area and I will take care of you from there.” The upgrades to the area were made possible from funds received by Coahoma through a The Home Depot Retool Your School Campus improvement grant. The enhancements include shelving, crates, baskets and racks to aid in organizing the pantry and maximizing the usage of space. Cox adds that the stocking of the pantry could not have been possible without the help of off-campus entities. “I want to take this opportunity to thank our area sororities, Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta, for adopting our pantry,” Cox added. “I would love to continue to see broadening partnerships with the community in an effort to better serve our students.” Parties interested in donating to the Tiger’s Den Food Pantry and Career Closet may donate goods to Trina Cox on the 2nd floor of the Zee A. Barron Student Union. To make a monetary donation online, click here.<https://secure.qgiv.com/for/coacomcolfou/event/810900/> SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. Building Capacity for Humanities Special Collections at HBCUs – Become an ally and partner with us to protect, preserve and share a more authentic record of American history. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/humanities-2019.html for more information. Follow this link http://hbculibraries.org/ and click on the Donate Now button to invest in this project. Your support is appreciated. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/