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Nicolet College creates food pantry for students

starjournalnow.com

Nicolet College is working to make sure students are taken care of on and off campus.

It recently started its own food pantry for students.

Nicolet College Career Center Coordinator Katie Brooks kept hearing a growing concern among students.

“Through other staff on campus, I was receiving word that students were facing more insecurities than they were before. From advisors and instructors, I just had more and more conversations,” said Brooks.

Other colleges in the state’s technical system offer a food pantry to students and Brooks felt Nicolet could support students similarly.

She pitched the idea to the Nicolet College Student Government.

“We thought that if they’re going to be on campus and part of the campus’s jobs is to help our students it would be a good thing to have it on campus for students who do come and do live further away,” Student Government Governor Brynlei Kuhn.

The food pantry is done by pick up.

Students fill in an emailed form with items they’d like.

Then it’s either available for pick up every other week in the Lakeside Center or they get a code to a locker where their bag of items is kept.

“One thing I wanted to push for was offering healthy items. We thought that’d be helpful for earlier in the week. Use your healthier items that are going to expire. I think we offered some salad packages and fruit options,” said Kuhn. “Then for later in the week, or since it’s only bi-weekly, for the following week where you can’t do a pickup, we had bread items for sandwiches and peanut butter and jelly, pasta, that kind of thing. To kind of extend it so families are getting assistance for the whole two weeks.”

The pantry started last month with two pick-ups so far.

Brooks says 17 students participated the first week and 19 the next.

It’s open to all students enrolled in classes. There are no income requirements.

Katie Thoresen is WXPR's News Director/Vice President.
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